Nagmani quits NCP, says will ensure Narendra Modi becomes PM

Zee Media Bureau

Patna: In yet another set back to the Congress-RJD-NCP alliance in Bihar, NCP state chief Nagmani resigned on Thursday and praised Bharatiya Janata Party`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Following the development, NCP chief Sharad Pawar dissolved the Bihar unit of the party. Nagmani, who was heading the Bihar unit of NCP and was looking after Jharkhand affairs of the party as well, said he was in touch with the BJP for more than two-and-a-half months. He told PTI that he had decided to work for Modi even when there was a talk that NCP could be given two seats under the "secular alliance" with Congress and RJD. "I have met all senior leaders of BJP except Narendra Modi. I have met BJP president Rajnath Singh, its former president Nitin Gadkari, organisational secretary Ramlal and senior BJP leaders from Bihar. I was never in favour of joining hands with Congress. "Even when there was a talk that NCP will be given two seats, I had told BJP leaders that I wanted to contest from their party. Today it is the nation`s dream to see some backward or Dalit leader as Prime Minister. Modi fulfils the criteria. I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that he becomes Prime Minister," Nagmani said. The latest development comes just days after Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Ram Vilas Paswan sealed an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming General Elections. Ramvilas Paswan returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and announced an alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections. It marked the first major aggregation to the NDA after the Janata Dal-United pulled out of the alliance last year over growing projection of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Paswan, who had resigned from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and walked out of the NDA over the 2002 Gujarat riots, said he had no reservations with Modi`s candidature for prime minister. Paswan on Monday shared the dais with Modi and pitched for making him the next prime minister. With PTI/IANS inputs