‘Happy To Have Him Back’: BJP Chief Nadda Hails ‘Natural Ally’ Nitish’s Return To NDA

J P Nadda mocked the opposition INDIA bloc, which Nitish Kumar had helped form while he was in the Mahagathbandhan', calling the anti-BJP front "conceptually flawed" and "unscientific".

Bihar Politics: BJP chief  J P Nadda Sunday hailed the return of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar return to the NDA, describing the Janata Dal (United) supremo as a “natural ally”.

Addressing a press conference after Nitish Kumar was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time, Nadda expressed happiness over Kumar’s return to the BJP-led NDA fold and exuded confidence that the their alliance will “sweep” the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“The people of Bihar had given the mandate in the last assembly polls to our natural alliance with Nitish Kumar. We are happy to have him back. Bihar has enjoyed stability whenever we have shared power. Things have looked up, be it infrastructure or law and order,” Nadda said.

‘Ujjwal Bihar’

The BJP National President said the reforged alliance between JD(U) and the saffron party will lead towards development of Ujjwal’ (bright) Bihar under the “double engine” government.

“Today marks a fresh march towards Ujjwal’ (bright) Bihar. The state will again see growth propelled by a double engine under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” the BJP chief said.

He also said “we are confident that the NDA will sweep the Lok Sabha polls and win all the 40 seats in Bihar. We will form the next government in the state after assembly polls”.

INDIA bloc unscientific, conceptually flawed

Taking a jibe at the INDIA bloc, Nadda mocked the opposition grouping, which Kumar had helped form while he was in the Mahagathbandhan’, calling the anti-BJP front “conceptually flawed” and “unscientific”.

“The alliance is unholy and unscientific. It was formed with the motto parivar bachao’ (protect the dynasty) and property bachao’, to shield those accused of corruption and to pursue politics of appeasement,” said Nadda in an apparent jibe at RJD chief Lalu Prasad, whose party lost power in the upheaval in Bihar.

Training his guns at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the BJP president said last year’s Bharat Jodo Yatra’ yielded no results, “so now he has taken out a Bharat Todo Anyay Yatra'”.

Nitish’s volte-face

On Sunday, in a dramatic turn which changed the entire landscape of Bihar politics and shook the foundations of the opposition INDIA bloc ahead of Lok Sabha polls, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar Sunday took oath as the Chief Minister of the state for a record ninth time after he ditched the Mahagathbandhan and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.

Kumar was sworn in by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan in the presence of senior leaders including BJP national president J P Nadda, hours after he resigned from the post, saying “things were not working well” for him in the Grand Alliance and the opposition bloc.

BJP leaders — Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha- were among those who took oath of office. The two are named as Deputy Chief Ministers.

(With PTI inputs)