'Habitual Betrayer': BJP Says it's not Going to be 'Cheated' by Nitish Kumar Again

Nitish Kumar has grown hugely unpopular and it was his unpopularity that had caused his JD(U) to perform badly in the 2020 Bihar assembly polls, BJP's state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal said.

Darbhanga: BJP workers from across Bihar have been categorically told that there was no question of a realignment with "unpopular" Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the party's state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal said on Sunday.

He made the averment upon the conclusion of the party's two-day state executive meeting in North Bihar district of Darbhanga.

"We have sought to stamp out rumours among our party cadre about such a realignment. Of course, the CM has the proclivity to oscillate like a pendulum. But we are not going to be cheated by him again", said the BJP leader whose party lost power in Bihar when Kumar and JD(U) walked out of an alliance with the saffron party to stitch together a new one with RJD and Congress.

"Nitish Kumar has grown hugely unpopular. It was his unpopularity that had caused his JD(U) to perform badly in assembly polls of 2020, when we did much better", said Jaiswal.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed magnanimity (udaarta) in deciding to stick to the promise made before elections and Kumar ended up enjoying another term in office. But, the habitual betrayer that he is, Kumar abused the trust reposed in him by PM", alleged the Bihar BJP chief.

Kumar had junked the BJP accusing it of trying to split the JD(U) with the help of his former close aide RCP Singh. The party has also accused the BJP of an attempted sabotage in the assembly polls when many saffron party rebels were fielded by Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party against JD(U) candidates.

Jaiswal reiterated that the BJP was now aiming at forming its own government in Bihar after winning the next assembly polls and claimed that the tone will be set in the Lok Sabha elections next year in which "we have set for ourselves a target of more than 35 out 40 seats in the state".

Jaiswal also said, tongue in cheek, "today is the birth anniversary of George Fernandes who was a mentor to Nitish. When Nitish did not shy away from betraying him, he can ditch anyone else".