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Journalism of Courage
Even as Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) supremo Nitish Kumar is all set to take part in the Eastern Zonal Council meet to be held in Patna on Sunday, the party seems to have carefully planned to project Nitish as a key national face of the Opposition irrespective of what transpires in the INDIA bloc meeting, which is likely to take place on December 17.
This is also going to be part of his tested and tried twin-track politics as he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and all top Opposition leaders within a period of 10 days.
Nitish may be often playing down his prime ministerial ambition, but senior JD (U) leaders keep projecting him as the future PM. This is also being taken as part of political bargaining ahead of INDIA bloc meet to give Nitish a key position.
JD (U) chief national spokesman KC Tyagi told The Indian Express: “At the outset, let us clarify that we are not putting any condition before INDIA bloc to give any position to Nitish. But what we have planned is a series of interactions outside Bihar. Our UP unit has already invited him to travel to Phulpur, Mirzapur and Varanasi. We are scheduling his travel to UP in January.”
He said the CM had also received invitation from Jharkhand. “Besides, some caste federations and social groups from Haryana and Maharashtra have invited him. Bihar caste survey report has found national resonance and Nitish Kumar has already been in demand for his socialist and development politics,” Tyagi said. Nitish would undertake all these tours after January.
Asked if JD (U) had been trying to bargain hard with the Congress after the latter’s poor show in the recent Assembly polls, Tyagi said: “We never resort to petty politics. It is JD (U)’s programme and if INDIA bloc decides anything, it can be accommodated. Lok Sabha polls are not far away. We have to get our act together”.
Asked about his scheduled participation in the Eastern Zonal Council meet, Tyagi said: “Nitish has already made it clear that he would attend it as the CM and take up Bihar’s concerns with the Union Home Minister. No political meaning should be drawn out of it.”
Tyagi said the recent Assembly polls was a reminder for the Opposition to unite quickly, decide seat sharing and announce joint rallies. “Time is running out fast. We have to strategise. There has been enough of warm-up discussions,” he added.
