The National People's Party (NPP) on Friday predicted that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successor after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Today, we are in the NDA (in Manipur) and we are fighting the BJP here (Meghalaya)... you can never know... Nitish Kumar may be the Prime Minister," Meghalaya NPP President Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi told journalists.
Asked the reason behind his statement, the NPP leader said: "I leave it to the intelligence of the Congress because the way I am looking at it, the only person who can unseat the BJP is Nitish Kumar. That is my opinion and others may look at it differently."
Told the Janata Dal-United leader has aligned with the BJP, Kharlukhi said: "I am just predicting which may happen or may not happen but from the way I am assessing, studying the political situation in India this is the only solution for them (the Congress), not Rahul Gandhi."
Asked if his statement will affect the NPP ties with the NDA in the wake of the assembly polls in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura, the NPP president said: "I am giving my personal statement, my assessment, it does not mean that I am against (NDA). I am just sharing what we are doing here like why we are working because we are a small a state, we need the help of the Centre."
The NPP, an ally of the BJP-led NDA Central government, has two members in the Meghalaya assembly. It was founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker (late) Purno Agitok Sangma.
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However, the NPP did not stitch a pre-poll alliance with the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.
--IANS
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