Patna: Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for the eighth time on Wednesday with Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD)Tejashwi Yadav as his Deputy. On Tuesday, Kumar resigned after snapping ties with the BJP. He then formed a new "grand alliance" with Tejashwi and other opposition parties.
"He won in 2014, but should now worry about 2024," Nitish said about PM Narendra Modi. "I would like all (opposition) to be united for 2024. I am not a contender for any such post (on PM post)," he said. On BJP's claims that the new government will fall soon, the veteran politician said: "New government will run just fine."
Pertinently, Nitish parted ways with the BJP alleging that the party was trying to break the JD(U), and joined hands with the political opponents RJD in the Mahagathbandhan. Speculations have been rife regarding his future with his 'national ambitions' doing rounds in the political sphere since his move against the NDA, which whom he had reunited in 2017.
Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, Nitish said that the party made the decision together to leave the BJP. "The party made the decision together (to leave BJP). I did not want to be the Chief Minister after the previous election. But a lot of pressure was put on me to handle the post. When there were talks with them (points towards Tejashwi Yadav), the decision was made. whether I will stay or not (till 2024)...they can say what they want, but I will not live in the year 2014," the Chief Minister said.
Also read: Nitish wanted to be Vice President, his party leaders approached BJP: Sushil Modi
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Nityanand Rai, while addressing the speculations about Nitish Kumar's national ambitions after quitting the NDA, said that the JD(U) leader will "never be the Prime Minister" of the country, adding that post of the head of the government is "reserved" for PM Narendra Modi. "The people of not only Bihar but the entire country have made up their minds and blessed Narendra Modi to be the prime minister for a lifetime.
"The people of this country will not accept anybody else as their PM if there is Narendra Modi. He will never be the Prime Minister. The post of PM is reserved for PM Modi because the poor got their 'messiah' for the first time," Rai said.
Tejashwi hugs Nitish
In the Raj Bhavan, Governor Fagu Chauhan administered oath to Nitish Kumar as the CM of the state for the eighth time. At the same time, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has become Deputy Chief Minister for the second time. During the ceremony, Tejashwi touched Nitish Kumar's feet after taking the oath and took his blessings. Nitish then hugged Tejashwi and congratulated him on coming to power.
Talking to the media after taking oath as the Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar said that the assembly session will be called soon and the swearing-in of ministers will also happen at the earliest. "We will tell everything to the public when the time comes. Our seats were reduced when we went with the BJP," he said.
