The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday played down Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's criticism for the saffron outfit, and said it stands out as a singular clear headed political party, which is looking forward to go full force on the fight against corrupt communal Congress.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said the people of India want a change and are looking forward that the Congress be removed in 2014.
"In that fight, it is BJP, which is clear and is moving forward with very clear blueprint in front of it. So, at this time from the BJP we feel political forces will have to understand this and move forward. If the choice is till not made, I am sorry they have lost it," said Sitharaman.
"And therefore, we emphasize that the fight is against the corrupt Congress, communal Congress, and the BJP will be essentially the centre to fight or the centrifugal force to fight against this kind of a Central Government, which has led to the misery of the common man," she added.
The Bihar Chief Minister earlier in the day rejected the BJP's charge of betrayal, and accused the saffron outfit of betraying and ignoring its own senior leaders.
"They (the BJP) have betrayed their own leaders... how can they accuse us of betrayal? If anyone is talking about betrayal, then betrayal has been from the other side. Someone who betrays his own seniors, can't talk about being betrayed," he told the media in Patna a day after the Janata Dal (United) broke its 17-year-old alliance with the BJP.
Kumar further said the JD-U had chosen to opt out of the alliance because it could not see eye to eye with the new BJP leadership, especially in the wake of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's elevation as the leader of the BJP's 2014 general election campaign.
"The era of Atal-Advani is over.... we cannot accept the new order of the BJP," Kumar reiterated today, referring to the iconic leaders of the BJP, LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Asserting that decision to split with the NDA not taken in haste, Kumar said: "It was decided after due consideration and taken at the right time."
"I called BJP leaders to decide a roadmap of the split. They did not come. By not coming for the meeting, BJP closed the door on talks," he added.
JD (U) has 118 MLAs in 243-member Bihar assembly and needs the support of only four more MLAs to have a majority.
There are 91 MLAS from BJP, 21 from RJD and one each from LJP and CPI in the state assembly.
