Nitish Kumar is 'mistaken', has no chance of becoming PM: Sushil Modi

Criticism comes after reports stated that the INDIA bloc has backed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for the post of PM

Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi on Wednesday criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for aspiring to become India's Prime Minister. Modi said that Kumar is "mistaken" about his influence and has no chance of becoming the PM, TV news channel NDTV reported.

This comes after reports stated that the INDIA bloc has backed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for the post.

At an INDIA bloc meeting on Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suggested the alliance should have a face for the PM's post. She went on to name Kharge, as suggested by several media reports.

The move was reportedly supported by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

 

'Joining INDIA bloc won't work for Nitish Kumar'

Modi was quoted by NDTV as saying that even Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav - one of Kumar's oldest colleagues - did not propose the chief minister's name as a potential Prime Minister.

Kumar's supporters claim that he should be the PM, but INDIA bloc leaders didn't take his name when discussing candidates. Banerjee chose Kharge. Yadav could have put forward Kumar's name but didn't, Modi added.

Modi also took a jibe at Kumar for swapping the BJP for the INDIA bloc. He said that Kumar wanted to be PM when he was with BJP but that was not going to happen. So, he opted to join the INDIA bloc. But that will not work either.

Kumar was a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) till August last year when he walked out of the alliance and allied with Lalu Yadav's RJD. In reference to the controversy over Kumar's "indecent language," while discussing population control, Modi told NDTV that Kumar would not be taken seriously by the public as he insulted women.  

Mallikarjun Kharge's name proposed as INDIA's prime ministerial face

Mamata and Kejriwal surprised the INDIA bloc after suggesting Kharge as the Opposition front's prime ministerial face. Kharge later said the coalition did not need to present a face, calling for a focus on winning the polls before discussing prime ministerial candidates. Kumar and Yadav reportedly left the meeting early without attending the press conference.