Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to take the oath for his third term on Sunday, amidst claims from the Janata Dal (United) party. On Saturday, JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi announced that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had been offered the Prime Ministerial position by the INDIA bloc.
In an interview with a private news channel, Tyagi revealed that Nitish declined the offer, choosing to remain aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Responding to this claim, Congress leader KC Venugopal, during a press conference following the Congress Working Committee meeting, expressed ignorance of any such offer. “We are not aware of it,” Venugopal stated, with Congress leader Digvijay Singh also dismissing the claim as false.
Similarly, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharti, speaking to the media at Patna airport before departing for Delhi, indicated that she had no knowledge of the offer. “Only KC Tyagi can tell this,” she remarked, questioning which leader had extended the offer.
The RJD was quick to label Tyagi’s statement as “jumlabaazi” (empty rhetoric). Party spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed challenged Tyagi to disclose the name of the individual who purportedly made the offer. “Politics neither starts nor ends in a day,” Ahmed said, urging Tyagi to substantiate his claim with concrete facts.
Ahmed further criticized the political maneuvers within JD(U), suggesting that Tyagi’s statements were a tactic to maintain political relevance. “If you are with the jumlabaaz party, then you want to maintain your political position by creating confusion,” he added.
Highlighting Nitish Kumar’s support for Narendra Modi, Ahmed remarked on Nitish’s alignment during the NDA meeting on Friday, interpreting it as a clear indication of his political stance. “The people of Bihar and the country have understood KC Tyagi’s politics,” Ahmed asserted.
Adding to the rebuttals, RJD spokesperson Rishi Mishra dismissed Tyagi’s claims, arguing that the selection of a Prime Minister should not be trivialized. Mishra suggested that JD(U) might benefit from receiving additional ministries, saying, “It would be good if JD(U) gets four ministries instead of three due to such a thing.”
Tyagi, however, stood by his statement, criticizing the leaders of India Block for their alleged reluctance to appoint Nitish as the alliance coordinator. “I am happy that the JD(U) leadership rejected the India Block offer and Nitish Kumar supported the name of Narendra Modi as the new PM,” Tyagi stated. He also claimed to possess proof of the offer and challenged any refutations.
This development comes on the eve of PM Modi’s historic third term, adding another layer to the complex political landscape.
