BJP Jibes Nitish Kumar's "Ghar Wapasi" With "Corruption, Congressism"

As Nitish Kumar dumped his ally BJP to form a new government with Mahagathbandhan including RJD in Bihar, former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday questioned the change of stance by the JD(U) leader while also accusing him of siding with "corruption and Congressism".

Mr Prasad also asked if Mr Kumar's politics which is around "non-Congressism", has finished, adding that it was the BJP that made him a big leader.

The remarks of the BJP leader came hours before the swearing-in ceremony of Nitish Kumar as the Bihar Chief Minister for the 8th time.

However, RJD leader Manoj Jha called the move a "ghar wapasi of 2017-2020 mandate".

Speaking to ANI, Mr Prasad said, "My question is, has Nitish Kumar gone back to the laps of corruption once again? What he had said in 2017, that there was a railway recruitment scam, mall scam in Patna, there was a scam in the selling of a hotel of railways that was sold in Ranchi, Sushil Modi had questioned it. Lalan Singh had raised questions too. There has been no response. Tejashwi said that he would not answer and talk to his lawyer. Nitish ji, have you got the answer?"

"The second question is, you (JDU) won the Lok Sabha elections due to the wave of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his name. You had won 2 seats in 2014, and won 16 seats in 2019 due to our alliance once again. in 2020 Assembly elections, when PM Modi started the campaign in full swing, you won 43 seats, the BJP won nearly double the seats, still, the Prime Minister announced you as the Chief Minister," he added.

The former minister said that the people will give a reply to move of Mr Kumar in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Assembly polls in Bihar.

"You returned to BJP in 2017 due to corruption, and now you returned to Mahagathbandhan again. What are you? Nitish Kumar has been a non-Congress leader. His politics is around non-Congressism. Is that finished? Compromise with corruption and non-Congressism! Nitish Kumar sided with corruption and Congressism. Congratulations. People will give a reply in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls," he said.

"I would say the BJP made Nitish Kumar a big leader on its shoulders. Atal ji made him Railway Minister, Chief Minister of Bihar, and a CM candidate in 2005 despite the opposition from the JDU leaders. Arun Singh had announced that we would contest along with JDU in the 2024 and in 2025 Assembly elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. Since when was it being plotted?" Mr Prasad added.

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar today at Raj Bhavan today.

Seven parties including 164 MLAs along with independent MLA in our Mahagathbandhan, says Nitish Kumar at a joint presser with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav after meeting Bihar Governor on Tuesday.

Manoj Jha who is an MP in Rajya Sabha said that Bihar has given a "message".

It's not only a government that'll take the oath, it's 'ghar wapasi' of 2017-2020 mandate. It's very important, especially in an era where BJP has decided to mangle democratic values - that only they would remain. Bihar gave a message. It's an oath of the people of Bihar," Mr Jha told ANI.

Reacting to the return of Nitish Kumar in alliance with Opposition parties, RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari said that it has happened for the first time that one of BJP's strongest allies has pulled out.

"The entire country is welcoming it. Everyone was worried about the kind of politics that the BJP was playing at. The BJP government is not in the interest of the nation. They have been breaking the Opposition by misusing the ED, CBI. It has happened for the first time that one of their strongest allies have pulled out," he said.

The RJD leader, hitting back at the BJP over the allegations of betraying the mandate of the people of Bihar, said that the BJP has done it the most "in the history of democracy".

"If there is any party, which has insulted the people's mandate the most in the history of democracy," he said.

Meanwhile, RJD National General Secretary Shyam Rajak said that awareness against PM Modi is spreading among the people of the country.

"An atmosphere has been created in the country. The communal powers that were trying to rise have been defeated. Awareness against PM Modi is spreading among the people of the country. Jungle raj is a word coined by the BJP, there is no jungle raj," he told ANI.

"More than 10 lakh people would be employed... There is a flicker of hope for the people who have been concerned about the growing communalism," Mr Rajak added.

Nitish Kumar ended his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance and rejoined hands with RJD on a day of rapidly changing political developments in Bihar.

According to a tweet by Mr Kumar's new alliance partner RJD, the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 2 pm at Raj Bhavan.

"The swearing-in ceremony of Honorable Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will be held tomorrow at 2 pm at Raj Bhavan," the party said in a tweet from its official handle.

While the RJD tweet did not mention any names, it is widely expected that Nitish Kumar would be the chief minister while Tejashwi Yadav would become his deputy.

In a day of fast-paced political developments, Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar twice met Governor Phagu Chauhan, first to hand over his resignation as NDA chief minister and then after being elected leader of the RJD-led ~CHECK~Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) to stake a claim for the top job in the state once again.

Mr Kumar said he submitted a list of 164 MLAs to the governor who will decide when the oath-taking can take place. The effective strength of the state Assembly is 242 and the magic figure is 122.

Notably, it will be the eighth time when Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)