Bihar CM Nitish Kumar opens up on delay in seat-sharing within NDA, says this about NRC

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that the seat-sharing deal within the NDA should have been finalised five months prior to the poll but it did not happen.

In a veiled attack on its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday (January 9) said that the Janata Dal (United) paid a heavy price for delay in seat-sharing within NDA before the recently concluded Assembly election in state. The Bihar chief minister said that the seat-sharing deal within the NDA should have been finalised five months prior to the poll but it did not happen.

"The seat distribution within the NDA should have been done five months prior to the elections but that was not done and as a result, JDU had to pay a big price for it. I was not in favour of becoming the chief minister but because of the pressure of BJP and my party, I agreed to assume the post," Mr Kumar said at the JD(U) state council meeting.

"People voted for us wherever we asked them and there was no confusion from our side. But false propaganda was spread against me and my party," he added.

CM Nitish expressed disappointment over the fact that the JD(U) failed to anticipate as to who were their friends and who were working to ensure defeat of the party in Assembly poll. 

"We failed to anticipate who were our friends and who were not and on whom we should have trusted. After the election campaign, we got to understand that things were not conducive for us but by that time it was too late," he said.

CM Nitish also talked about National Register of Citizens (NRC) and asserted that it will not be implemented in Bihar. He added that JD(U) will oppose NRC even if it is attempted to bring NRC in the state.

"NRC will not be implemented in Bihar and if an attempt is done to do so then our party will openly oppose it," he said.

CM Nitish reiterated that he was reluctant to remain at the helm of affairs in the state “but agreed only because of his party workers”.