Nitish Kumar is JD-U chief, speaks of destiny

After being officially crowned as Janata Dal (United) president during the party’s national council meeting in Patna on Saturday, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar clarified that his next move will be to strengthen his party at the national level, and that he will be “happy to play the role of a catalyst”.

While the Bihar chief minister clarified that he has never laid claim to the post of Prime Minister, he reiterated his earlier stance of uniting like-minded secular forces on one platform against the BJP and RSS. “I firmly believe that if becoming Prime Minister is in one’s destiny, then nobody can stop. What I want is that all like-minded secular forces must come on one platform.”

Mr Kumar, who had earlier called for a “Sangh-mukt Bharat (Sangh-free India), while addressing the national council meeting on Saturday in Patna said that the BJP had failed to fulfil its poll promises and was trying to enforce the ideology of the RSS in the country to divide the nation on communal lines.

“Today there is Start Up India, then there will be Stand Up India, and tomorrow there will be Sleep India. There are new names which you hear every day but there is no effort to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks, as promised by the BJP during the Lok Sabha polls,” Mr Kumar said.

According to party insiders, Mr Kumar is also focusing on making a mark in Uttar Pradesh where Assembly election are due early next year and is trying to make liquor prohibition an election issue. The prohibition drive by the JD(U) in UP is likely to be kicked off by May 15.

Mr Kumar, while addressing the national council meeting, said he would shortly visit states like Jharkhand, Orissa and UP to support the campaign against liquor consumption. “If prohibition of liquor can be imposed in Bihar, why not in UP and other states I will go there and support those who are raising their voice against liquor consumption.”

Mr Kumar, who is trying to create a mahagathbandhan-type formula at the national level, is also expected to speed up talks with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal and Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha. Party sources said efforts are also being made to rope in smaller regional parties.