Aide scotches speculation about Nitish’s perceived unhappiness over INDIA meet

Bihar’s water resources minister and senior Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, a close aide of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Friday scotched speculation about the latter’s perceived unhappiness over the proceedings of the recent meeting of India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in New Delhi and said his party has no issue with the projection of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial face of the opposition grouping.

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Talking to reporters, Jha made it clear that Kumar was not at all unhappy with developments in the INDIA bloc meeting. “We have talks on all issues pertaining to INDIA’s strategy to take on the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. The CM wanted seat-sharing between the coalition partners to be resolved by January-end. Our party has no issue with Kharge’s name being floated as the PM face of the INDIA bloc.”

Jha’s statement comes after Congress senior Rahul Gandhi is believed to have talked to the Bihar CM following reports about Kumar’s unhappiness. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also dismissed as speculative reports about Kumar being upset with the outcome of the meeting. “A section of the media is indulging in creating impressions that everything is not right in INDIA. This is a complete rumour. Nitish ji and I are quite happy with INDIA developments,” he said on Thursday.

The INDIA bloc meeting on Tuesday saw West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerje proposing Kharge as the grouping’s prime ministerial candidate or convenor, a move supported by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Kumar and Yadav left that meeting soon after, and the former summoned a meeting of his party, leading to speculation that he was unhappy with the development.

The speculation, based on several JD(U) leaders pitching Kumar as a possible candidate before the meeting, continued even after some of the party leaders expressed their unhappiness at Kharge’s choice.

JD(U) Member of Parliament Gopal Mandal on Thursday backed Kumar’s candidature claiming that no one knows Kharge. “The public will not accept him (Kharge). Nobody knows Kharge-Farge. I came to know about him just now. I was not even aware that Kharge is the national president of the Congress,” said Mandal.

Congress leader Ajeet Kumar urged the CM to act against Mandal. “Congress is a national party and still the largest among the opposition. JD(U) will get to know its actual support among the people if it chooses to contest alone in the Lok Sabha polls. CM Kumar must take action against the likes of Mandal, who are conspiring against the INDIA bloc.”

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Jha’s comments should soothe tempers. He clarified that the party would support any name put forth by the INDIA constituents as the PM face. “We need to wait for the Congress’s opinion over Kharge’s candidature. Seat-sharing talks will be finished by January-end.”