PM Narendra Modi congratulates Nitish Kumar for breaking with RJD, hails his 'fight against corruption'

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar resigned on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences with ally RJD.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the resignation of Nitish Kumar as Bihar Chief Minister and said that in doing so he had joined the fight against corruption.

PM Modi tweeted, "Congratulations. Mr Nitish Kumar for joining the fight against corruption. 1.25 crore people are welcoming and supporting his honesty."

"For the bright future of the country and especially Bihar, it is the need of the hour to rise above political differences and join the fight against corruption," PM Modi added.

Nitish Kumar resigned today as CM, citing irreconcilable differences with ally RJD on the issue of corruption charges against his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.

"In the circumstances that prevail in Bihar, it became difficult to run the grand alliance government," Kumar told reporters outside Raj Bhavan after submitting his resignation to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi.

"I tried to work it out... I did not ask for anybody's resignation... I just asked Tejashwi to explain the charges of corruption," he said, as per PTI.

Asked if he will now form a government with BJP's support, he said,"Whatever had to happen has happened. Now see what happens next."

Kumar, who led the Grand Alliance that also included the Congress to a stunning victory, was sworn in on November 20, 2015.

Ever since the CBI filed cases of corruption against Tejashwi, his father Lalud and his sister Misa Yadav, pressure has been mounting on Nitish to sack Tejashwi Yadav.

But any action against the Deputy CM could have evoked the wrath of the RJD on whose support was vital for the government. 

In the 243-member Assembly, the RJD has 80 MLAs, the JD-U 71 and Congress 27. The BJP has 53 MLAs and its allies LJP 2, RLSP 2 and HAM 1.

There are four independents and four MLAs belong to the CPI-ML.

The JD(U) and BJP together make up for 124 seats and with BJP allies the total could go to 129, clearly crossing the half-way mark. 

Nitish had run a coalition government with BJP.

But he resigned and severed ties with the party after it announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. 

(With Agency inputs)