Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday rubbished speculations about fresh negotiations being on for the inclusion of his JD(U) in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the offer of which he had declined earlier
Kumar termed the queries about his party having expressed the desire to join the union council of ministers in the event of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah coming up with an offer that was commensurate with the JD(U)s strength in .Parliament. as "faltu" (nonsense) "Aisi koi baat nahin hui hai. Sab faltu baat hai" (no such talks have taken place. This is all nonsense) said Kumar with a glum face when he was asked about the JD(U) having "expressed the desire to join the central government" after a function held here to celebrate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The queries emanated from a statement to the effect made by JD(U) national general secretary and chief spokesman K C Tyagi on the previous day in the national capital soon after Kumar had addressed the party's national council, a day after..getting formally elected for his second term as the national president.
When the media returned to Tyagi on Thursday with queries in the light of Kumar's rebuff, he sheepishly replied, "There is no contradiction. I had said we would welcome an offer of proportionate representation if it comes from Modi or Shah. But I never said there is an offer right now".
Tyagi had on Wednesday apparently made an out of turn pitch for JD(U)s proportionate representation at the Centre as a reciprocal gesture to Kumar having inducted many ministers from the BJP, including a Deputy CM, after the two parties joined hands in 2017 even though the saffron party's tally in the state legislature was significantly lower.
