No Question Of Ghar Wapasi, Says Nitish Kumar For BJP

New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said his support for the centre's demonetisation move must not be politicised or be interpreted as a sign that he could ally once again with the BJP.

Asked if a "ghar wapsi" or return home was on the cards Mr Kumar said, "I support demonetisation because I believe it is a good step. A political meaning should not be drawn from it." He was speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

But he said, "Just scrapping old notes won't bring back black money. We have to strike benami property and assets...If it's really a surgical strike on black money like the BJP has called it, then they have to go even ahead. This is just the beginning."

Nitish Kumar has stood out among opposition leaders in his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to scrap 500 and 1,000-rupee notes, aimed at eliminating black or untaxed money, upsetting current allies like Lalu Yadav's RJD and the Congress.

However, the chief minister asserted that their partnership remains strong and that the Grand Alliance, put together before assembly elections last year to take on the BJP, would complete its five-year term.

Mr Kumar refused to comment when asked if he could be a combined opposition's choice for presumptive Prime Minister in the 2019 national election, but said there has "not been a serious effort towards Mission 2019 among non-BJP parties".

Nitish Kumar had led his Janata Dal United in a break-up with the BJP after 17 years of partnership in 2013 and is usually one of the party's most fierce critics.

In more criticism today, Mr Kumar accused the BJP and PM Modi of believing "less in working and more in campaigning".

"You announce something during the election campaign and then during governance you call it an election jumla (epithet) - is that governance?" Mr Kumar said.