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Maybe, Nitish said it for effect: BJP

Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI:The BJP on Friday “explained” the comments made by Bihar Chief Minister and NDA partner Nitish Kumar that he would be amenable to discussing support for a government at the Centre on the basis of grant of a “special status” to Bihar.

With the media seizing on his statement as a declaration by Mr. Kumar that he could go either way in the fluid post-poll situation, the BJP was pushed into damage control mode.Party president Rajnath Singh said the Janata Dal (United) would continue to remain an NDA partner.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told journalists that the party’s prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, had already promised, during his campaign, Bihar the “special status,” which would enable the State to get more funds for development.

Several party leaders have pointed out that the BJP’s 55 legislators in the Assembly were “crucial” for the survival of the Nitish Kumar government. Their view is that Mr. Kumar made the statement on special status for “effect” and he was “teasing” the Congress and perhaps trying to keep the BJP on tenterhooks.

One BJP leader pointed out that as Mr. Kumar arrived at a function to release a book, he stopped to talk to some journalists, before whom he made that statement.

“In the meantime, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi had gone inside for the function. Mr. Kumar joined them after making his statement to the press. And when Mr. Modi, a BJP leader in Bihar, came out, journalists wanted his reaction to Mr. Kumar’s statement. Mr. Modi, at that time, did not know what Mr. Kumar had said and did not know how to react,” the BJP leader said.

Kapil Sibal’s poser

PTI reports:

“It is for Nitish Kumar to say whether he is ready [to come with us] or not ready. When he ends ties with BJP, then only there could be a dialogue,” party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters here when asked whether the Congress was still open to a tie-up with the JD(U).

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