Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, poked fun at Nitish Kumar on Wednesday for switching allegiances to work with the Mahagathbandhan to form a government, saying that he is a “Margdarshak” (guide) for people who wish to “change parties in every six months.”
For the ninth time, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD took the oath of office as Nitish Kumar’s deputy.
Mr. Sarma, a former Congressman who joined the BJP in 2015, said that after changing his political affiliation, he is still “not like him” (Nitish Kumar).
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“How can you ensure that Nitish Kumar won’t leave that alliance again in six to eight months? He is unreliable. We switched parties as well, but we still don’t like him. He is the “Margdarshak” for anybody who wants to switch parties every six months. “Speaking to media, the Assam Chief Minister made the following statement.
Mr. Kumar said the party decided to quit the BJP shortly after the swearing-in event collectively.
“Together, the parties concluded (to leave BJP). After the last election, I did not want to be the Chief Minister. But I felt a lot of pressure to manage the post. The choice was taken after discussions with them (indicates Tejashwi Yadav). They may say anything they want about whether I’ll remain or not (until 2024), but I won’t be around in 2014, “said the chief minister.
In advance of the 2024 general elections, Mr. Kumar called for a unified opposition.
Since he decided to leave the NDA, which he had reconciled in 2017, there have been several rumors about his future, with his “national aspirations” making the rounds in the political realm.
However, the Chief Minister denied such rumors upon his inauguration yesterday.
“Will the people in 2014 still be in power in 2024? I want the whole opposition to come together for 2024. I’m not a candidate for any of these positions (on PM posts), “Speaking to media in Patna, he remarked.
On Tuesday, Mr. Kumar joined forces with the BJP’s political rivals RJD in the Mahagathbandhan, claiming that the latter was attempting to split the JD(U).
