Nitish Kumar
'Became CM in 2020 due to pressure': Nitish Kumar reveals after BJP's betrayal allegation
Patna/IBNS: Nitish Kumar, who won the floor test Wednesday to prove the majority of the 'Mahagathbandhan' alliance government in the state Assembly, revealed that he agreed to become the Chief Minister in 2020 even as his party bagged fewer seats than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the election, due of "pressure".
Kumar made the startling disclosure during his remarks in the Bihar assembly while replying to BJP's allegations that he had betrayed their alliance.
The remarks came just before the floor test in the assembly that he won easily.
"After the 2020 polls, I was ready for a Chief Minister from the BJP since they had more MLAs. But there was serious pressure on me to continue as Chief Minister. They said you become Chief Minister. So, I finally agreed," Kumar said.
He also rattled off the names of BJP leaders who lost out in the race for Chief Minister - Sushil Kumar Modi and Prem Kumar.
"I was told that Nand Kishore Yadav would be made Speaker. I said he is an old friend... it will be good. But he wasn't."
Kumar's Janata Dal-United (JDU) finished third in the 2020 Bihar election, ending up as a junior partner to the BJP for the first time in their long alliance. He returned as Chief Minister but lacked a significant role in the alliance.
Kumar blamed his party's poor performance on estranged ally Chirag Paswan, who put up candidates against the JDU while swearing allegiance to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"In 2020, who did you pitch against me? But despite everything I didn't carry grudges and I had said I don't want to be Chief Minister. I said you have won more seats, Chief Minister should be from your party. But I took it up under pressure. You know what happened afterwards, the person I had lifted from the lowest ranks to the top – I sent him to the Centre and he betrayed me," he said.
Earlier this month, Kumar ended his alliance with the BJP and formed a new government with the RJD and other parties.
His government is currently enjoying the support of 164 members including that of JD(U), RJD, Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha ( HAM), Communist Party of India Marxist Leninist, Communist Party of India (CPI), AIMIM and an independent.
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