PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has said his predecessor Nitish Kumar stepped down as chief minister on his own and was not pressured by the BJP, dismissing claims made by Opposition leaders in the state.
Speaking to people at an event, Choudhary said a wrong message had been spread that Nitish was forced to give up the post.
“This is wrong. Nitish Ji had expressed his willingness to go to Rajya Sabha,” he asserted.
“Nitish Ji stepped down of his own accord. We had not asked him to do so. Of course, he did acknowledge the fact that Atal Bihari Vajpayee had let him become the chief minister for the first time when BJP had more MLAs than his party and that he now wanted to reciprocate the gesture,” Choudhary added.
He said Nitish remains an undisputed leader of the NDA and continues to guide the government despite being a member of the Rajya Sabha.
“Though he is a member of Upper House of the Parliament, he continues to guide us in running the government. His vast experience in political field is helping us,” he revealed.
Choudhary also hit back at RJD national working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who had described him as a ‘selected and not elected leader’.
“He should remember that his mother too was not elected by the people when she first became CM,” Choudhary said.
He also said the RJD had not announced beforehand that it would support him for the deputy chief minister's post in the Mahagathbandhan government.
“Pahle apne giriwan mein jhakna chahiye (First introspect yourself)” he told the people.
Choudhary, the first BJP chief minister of Bihar, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar for giving him the opportunity to serve as chief minister.
“The party has given me a lot. I was made state president of BJP, served as Deputy CM twice and finally made CM,” he added.
Responding to a query, Choudhary said his government was effectively handling the flood situation with assistance from the Centre, while the state was pursuing longer-term measures, including inter-linking of rivers, to address perennial floods.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor had earlier told this newspaper that Samrat Choudhary was the BJP’s choice and not that of the JD(U), as claimed by some political parties.
“A misconception has been spread in this regard,” he had added.