PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday categorically dismissed any rift within the alliance and predicted that the NDA will win more than 200 seats in the next year Assembly election.
He asserted that those trying to create a fissure between his JD(U) and alliance partner BJP will be in trouble.
Addressing the state council meeting of the Janata Dal (United), of which he is the national president, Kumar lashed out at his detractors charging them with “lacking political acumen and trying to gain publicity by launching personal attacks on me... many of them later privately confiding that they did so because it was their USP”.
The state will go to polls by the end of 2020.
Kumar also took a veiled dig at the RJD and its leader Tejashwi Yadav, mentioning neither by name.
Some RJD veterans like Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Shivanand Tiwary had, after the party drew a blank in the Lok Sabha polls this year, begun to speak in favour of a fresh tie-up with Kumar.
The proposal, however, was rejected by Tejashwi Yadav.
“Some of their leaders say let us have some sort of understanding. Another says, no it is not needed. Who is even thinking of them,” Kumar said.
Reacting to the CM’s remark, Tejashawi said those who criticise him don’t know the ABCD of politics and challenged Kumar for an open debate on any topic of his (Kumar) choices.