I am more qualified for PM post than those `roaming around`, says Nitish Kumar

Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar New Delhi/Bettiah: Throwing his hat in the ring for prime ministership, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that he was more qualified than many other aspirants.

Explaining why he is a better choice for the top job, Nitish said, “I am more qualified than those roaming around for the post of prime minister.” Nitish was speaking during his `sankalp yatra` held in Bettiah to demand special category status for Bihar. Without naming either the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, he said "While one does not have the experience of Parliament another has no experience of running a state...I have both experiences ...Am I less qualified than them?" On a pointed question regarding his PM ambitions, the Chief Minister said his party JD(U) was small and modest and did not make tall claims, but believed in working for the people. Coming from Nitish, who is known to be cautious in airing his views, the assertion is of immense political importance. It indicates that the newly resurrected Third Front would find it even more difficult to arrive at a consensus in choosing a PM if the formation comes to power or forms a government with outside support from the Congress. Nitish with his clean image and proven expertise in governance may emerge as the most powerful claimant. Nitish has harboured prime ministerial ambitions for long and had walked out of the NDA after he sensed that Narendra Modi was being favoured as the PM candidate.