The 2024 poll result would be decided in the interest of the country, Nitish Kumar said (File)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to Patna from Delhi today after paying homage to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary.
Reacting to allegations that he returned empty-handed without meeting any leaders of the INDIA bloc, Nitish Kumar said that he had gone to Delhi to pay tribute to the former Prime Minister as he served as a minister in his cabinet and alleged that the present BJP-led NDA does not have any vision.
"I paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Delhi on his death anniversary and apart from that I did not have a word with anyone else. I had gone to Delhi for a limited time. The NDA meeting was held only after the formation of INDIA," Nitish Kumar said.
He said that the NDA was named in 1999 and a lot of meetings used to be held during that time.
"I had a very close relationship with Atal Bihari Vajpayee so I went to pay homage to him. During his tenure, meetings used to be held regularly. After the formation of INDIA, now they have again started the meetings," Mr Kumar said.
On the allegation that he did not meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr Kumar said that if required he would talk to the INDIA leaders over the phone. "We often have a conversation when required", he added.
"The next INDIA alliance meeting will happen on August 31 and September 1. The 2024 poll result would be decided in the interest of the country," he said.