Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was worried over the formation of the opposition alliance INDIA, a grouping of 26 non-NDA parties. He made this comment upon return from Delhi, where he paid tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“I had gone to Delhi for a medical checkup. It was a coincidence that it also happened to be death anniversary of the late leader who used to be so fond of me,” said Kumar, who snapped ties with the BJP last year, but retains fond memories of his days as a minister in the Union cabinet headed by Vajpayee.

“I had forecast that he (Vajpayee) will become the prime minister one day and it turned out to be true. The coalition was given the name National Democratic Alliance in 1999, under his leadership,” recalled Kumar.

The Bihar CM has also been alleging that under the incumbent PM, the BJP has stopped treating allies with respect.

The JDU leaders also rubbished reports in a section of the media that he sought appointments with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, only to be left disappointed.

“This is nonsense. I keep talking to both leaders over telephone. The fact is meeting anybody was not on the agenda this time. I had undergone an eye surgery a few years ago, and my doctor insists on examinations every six months. That was the sole reason of my visit to Delhi. I was amused to read about so much of speculations around my trip,” said the longest-serving CM of Bihar.

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First Published:Aug 17, 2023 7:06 PM IST