After Fallout Over 'INDIA Bloc's PM Face', Rahul Gandhi Dials 'Angry Aspirant' Nitish Kumar

after fallout over ‘india bloc’s pm face’, rahul gandhi dials ‘angry aspirant’ nitish kumar

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, reportedly dialled Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in a bid to pacify the disgruntled leader after Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was proposed as the PM face for the alliance. Though the details of the conversation between the two are not available those in the know believe that the two discussed on the fallout of Wednesday’s meeting.

For the unversed, the JD(U) leader has been one of the key figures who aggressively contributed to the formation of the INDIA Bloc. Kumar was reportedly miffed at being overlooked in discussions on a possible convener for the group and/or prime ministerial candidate.

According to some media reports, Nitish Kumar clashed with INDIA bloc leaders on multiple issues, including the proposal to rename the bloc as ‘Bharat’, which was promptly rejected by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Tensions reportedly escalated when Nitish Kumar expressed displeasure with Manoj Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, a state ally, for translating his speech from Hindi to Tamil for the benefit of political leaders from the DMK.

Additionally, there were speculations that Nitish Kumar criticised the Congress following its poor performance in the November Assembly polls, considered a precursor to INDIA’s electoral strength. The Congress faced significant setbacks in key states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, crucial battlegrounds for INDIA’s strategy against the BJP. The party’s struggles were exacerbated by disputes over seat-sharing with allies.

Despite publicly denying his prime ministerial ambitions, Nitish Kumar is perceived to harbour aspirations for the top job. While JDU leaders endorsed Nitish Kumar for the position in August and September, stating he possessed the requisite qualities and experience, they emphasised that the decision must be collective.

The recent proposal of Mallikarjun Kharge by Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal seemed to catch Nitish Kumar off guard, reportedly leading him to leave the meeting abruptly. However, JDU spokesperson KC Tyagi clarified that INDIA would not project any specific face for the 2024 elections, reiterating the decision made in a previous meeting in Mumbai.

Tyagi emphasised the JDU’s commitment to the alliance, referring to it as “our child” that they gave birth to, and denied any anger on Nitish Kumar’s part.