Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi revealed that Bihar Chief Minister and party chief Nitish Kumar was extended an invitation to join the Opposition INDIA bloc and offered the prime ministerial position. However, Kumar declined the offer.
“Nitish Kumar got an offer from the INDIA bloc to become the Prime Minister. He got the offer from those people who did not allow him to become the convenor of the INDIA bloc. He has refused it and we are firmly with the NDA,” Tyagi said.
However, Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the party did not have such information about the INDIA bloc approaching Nitish Kumar to become the Prime Minister, “We have no such information. Only he knows about this (claim),” he said at a press conference.
Amid speculation that the INDIA bloc was cultivating closer ties with the JD(U) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), both allies of the BJP-led NDA, to gather support and potentially form the central government, developments unfolded.
Contrary to exit poll forecasts, the INDIA bloc performed strongly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, securing victory in 234 out of the 543 seats. Meanwhile, the NDA attained 293 seats, with the BJP securing 240, falling short by 32 seats to reach the majority mark.
When asked to name which leader or leaders offered the prime ministerial post to Nitish Kumar, Tyagi refused to name anyone.
“Some leaders wanted to approach Nitish Kumar directly for the offer. But we left the INDIA bloc after the treatment that was meted out to him and our party leaders. We have joined NDA and there’s no question of looking back now,” he said.
Nitish Kumar, known for his political flexibility, was the driving force behind the formation of the INDIA bloc and chaired its inaugural meeting in Patna last year. However, he departed from the Opposition coalition and rejoined the NDA alliance in January 2024.
Having secured 12 seats for his party in the Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar participated in the NDA parliamentary meeting on Friday, where Narendra Modi was elected as the NDA Parliamentary Party Leader.
The JD(U) leader has a history of making several political turnabouts. In 2013, he ended his alliance with the BJP and aligned with the RJD and Congress. Following the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he once again allied with the BJP in 2020, subsequently assuming the role of Chief Minister.
Two years later, he severed ties with the BJP and formed a coalition government with the RJD and Congress. However, in January of this year, he once again switched allegiance to the NDA and resumed office as Chief Minister.