Stop salivating, BJP’s ties with Nitish Kumar are strong, says Amit Shah in Bihar

BJP president Amit Shah has said his party will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls along with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), seeking to end speculation that ties between them were strained.

“The BJP-led NDA’s alliance with Nitish Kumar will not break, it will continue. We are with Nitish Kumar and will continue to be with him,” IANS quoted Shah as saying in Patna on Thursday.

“The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) is united and strong in Bihar. We will contest the Lok Sabha election together and will win all 40 seats in the state,” he said, adding, “The end of Congress will take place in Bihar.”

In an apparent reference to speculation about Kumar feeling uncomfortable in the BJP-led coalition and mooting return to the Grand Alliance which comprises the RJD and the Congress, Shah dismissed any such possibility saying detractors must not harbour many hopes as Kumar is not going to side with the corrupt.

“Stop salivating. We know how to manage our partners and walk the mile with our friends,” Shah said in an apparent rebuff to opposition parties who were trying to court Kumar in the wake of voices of discord over seat sharing in the NDA.

He also took a dig at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for raising questions about surgical strikes, saying with his affinity to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad he will appreciate only fodder and not such a military operation.

“With his affinity to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, he will appreciate only fodder and not a military operation of this nature,” Shah said.

Party sources said Shah was ‘happy’ with the outcome of his breakfast and dinner meetings with Nitish Kumar.

“The meeting has sealed that JD(U) will remain an integral and important ally of the BJP. Issues like seat-sharing will be sorted out amicably,” said a top BJP leader.

Shah had met Kumar over breakfast this morning amid reports of differences between the allies over a host of issues, including allocation of seats for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held next year.

The BJP, besides Shah, was represented at CM’s dinner by party’s state president Nityanand Rai, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, ministers Nand Kishore Yadav and Mangal Pandey and state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav.

Unlike the breakfast meeting when JD(U) was represented by only Nitish Kumar, the dinner was attended by JD(U) state president Bashistha Narain Singh and other senior ministers.