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Left for Nitish as PM as latter demands spcl status for Bihar
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Zeenews Bureau
Patna, May 15: In a surprising move, senior CPI leader AB Bardhan on Friday pitched in for JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish kumar as the likely consensus PM candidate after the latter demanded speial staus for Bihar in lieu of his support for govt at the centre.
"If he (Nitish) extends support to us, we, among others, will consider his name for the post," Bardhan told reporters in Patna.
The CPI leader also backed Nitish`s demand of special state status for Bihar saying every year the state is hit by floods and employment problem too was plaguing it.
He said Nitish wants that his state should be given the special status, adding if their alliance forms the government at the Centre they will give this status to Bihar.
This can be seen as major development because as per the initial trends, neither Congress nor the BJP will be in a position to form the government with their existing allies.
With Left clearly trying to stop BJP at any cost, the ‘secular’ NDA ally JD(U) has emerged as the frontrunner. However, Kumar himself has denied breaking line with NDA in the recent past.
Special status to Bihar
The Congress’ desperation to get the “numbers” right was apparent on Friday when it was all ears to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, when he said that the JD(U) would support any formation at the Centre which will give special status to his state.
"At a time when every party and pre-poll alliance is claiming that it would form government in Delhi, I ask parties in Bihar to make it a pre-condition for support that whichever party or alliance comes to power will provide special category status to Bihar," said Kumar, leader of JD(U) a key constituent of the NDA, who is being wooed by Congress and the Left parties.
He was speaking at a function for the release of a monograph `Special Category Status: A Case for Bihar`, endorsed by him and released by renowned economist Lord Meghnad Desai.
"I request all parties to make it a pre-condition that the basis for their support will be conferring special category status to Bihar....We have a good opportunity at hand (for a bargain in a hung house)," Kumar said.
Talking at length on the development issues in the state, Nitish Kumar said the state`s long standing demand to give it special status had been rejected by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Manmohan Singh, he said, was not even ready to discuss the issue.
"Three years back, on April 13, 2006, the state Assembly decided that Bihar should be given special status and we requested a meeting with the Prime Minister. But we were not given time," the Chief Minister said.
Still part of NDA
In the midst of wooing by many parties, Kumar had maintained he was part of NDA which has projected L K Advani as Prime Minister.
Last week, he shared the stage with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at an NDA rally in Ludhiana.
Asked by reporters, whether he was prepared to lend support to a Congress-led government if it agreed to the demand, Kumar said, "It is a hypothetical question, all parties should think about it as Bihar has a favourable environment for industrialisation. Special status will mean tax holidays and encouragement to investors."
Though Kumar has been insisting that he is and will remain part of the NDA, it is quite likely that the parties jockeying for power would read an invitation in his statement for joining forces with the rider that the cash-strapped state gets special status.
About the reported move by the Third Front to project him as Prime Minister, Kumar said, "I don`t even dream of it. I am not competent enough to become Prime Minister".
Kumar also denied reports that he was in talks with the Left Front or any other party outside the NDA.
"It is a matter of just hours now. Please wait till the results are out," he said.
But it’s clear that by keeping Bihar’s priorities ahead of his party’s position as one of the oldest and most trusted allies of the BJP, Nitish Kumar has now made it absolutely clear that JD(U)’s support cannot to be taken for granted and that they will go with “whoever” gives the best bargain.
Congress ready for special status to Bihar
The Congress was quick to take the cue with senior party strategist Digvijay Singh coming out with a statement that the Congress is OK with the idea of giving special status to Bihar.
“We are sensitive to the needs of Bihar as we had given five times more money for the development of Bihar than the NDA, but Nitish to specify what he means by special status,” said Digvijay while speaking to a news channel.
The Congress’ eagerness to woo the Bihar CM into the UPA fold is not something new as party’s youth icon Rahul Gandhi, had openly praised Nitish for the development work he is doing in Bihar.
PM Manmohan Singh had also called up Kumar to discuss the relief package given to Bihar after the Kosi floods – after he complained that not enough was being done by the Centre for Kosi relief.
But, the problem for the Congress lies in its existing ally RJD chief Lalu Yadav as it is next to impossible to bring Nitish and Lalu on a common platform given the fact that they are each other principle adversaries in the state.
BJP worried
Although the BJP is putting up a brave face, it undoubtedly is facing uncertain times, that too when the results are just hours away.
Party president Rajnath Singh played down the comments by Nitish Kumar by saying that the Bihar CM has not asked for anything unusual and that what he has said is correct.
“Nitish is a seasoned politician, he knows which party (read BJP) will give special status to Bihar,” said Rajnath.
Rajnath also said that Nitish is still with the NDA and has assured his support to LK Advani as PM.
However, Nitish’s change of stand from his earlier expressed unwavering allegiance to the NDA opens up a lot of possibilities for the now wavering Third Front.
The Third Front has been all along trying to woo the Bihar CM. There were also reports that the Left is even open to project Nitish as the "consensus" candidate for the Prime Minister`s job.
But Nitish has been till now preferred to keep his cards close to chest and keep everybody guessing.
Paswan dubs demand as `nautanki`
LJP Chief Ram Vilas Paswan today
dubbed as "nautanki" (drama) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar`s demand to accord a special status to the state as a
pre-condition for support.
"Kumar`s demand for a special category status is mere
nautanki (drama). Whoever is making this demand is trying to
hide his own weaknesses. Development has never been an issue
for him," Paswan said after arriving here from Delhi.
Declining to divulge what the Fourth Front comprising
LJP, RJD and Samajwadi Party would do after declaration of the
Lok Sabha results, Paswan said he would speak to the press
only after discussions with alliance partners.
"How can I disclose to the media what we intend to do
after the results are out? We will tell you what we will do
only after leaders of all three constituents of the Fourth
Front meet and take a decision," he said.
On NDA convenor Sharad Yadav`s reported talks with
him, Paswan said, "So many people including Sharad Yadav,
Sonia Gandhi and S Jaipal Reddy called me up after the fire at
my residence. Not much should be read into it."
When a journalist said some of them had met him, he said
"this is why I don`t want to talk to the media. Why are you
telling lies? Being in the media you should act responsibly."
On the reported statement by Congress General Secretary
Digvijay Singh that his party would be sensitive to Kumar`s
demand for special status to Bihar, Paswan retorted "I
am not a spokesman for the Congress or Digvijay Singh. Go and
ask them."
Stating that "Bihar is important for us and very
important for the country", Singh had said earlier in the day
that "sensitiveness will be shown towards Bihar (if Congress
came to power). Congress has always been sensitive to Bihar
and will remain so".
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