Nitish Kumar Denies Reports Of His Party's Return To BJP-Led NDA

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday rubbished speculations in a section of the media about his party JD(U)'s return to the BJP-led NDA, with which it snapped ties around a year ago, and said his prime concern was to strengthen opposition INDIA bloc.

Responding to reporters' queries on the speculations, Mr Kumar said, "Kya faltu baat hai" (what rubbish!).

The JD(U) leader, who is a key figure in the anti-BJP INDIA coalition, also voiced his disapproval of party colleagues talking about him having "all qualities for making a good PM".

"I have already told my party colleagues not to make such statements. My only wish is to strengthen the unity of the INDIA alliance. I am working only in this direction," he said.

Bihar Assembly Deputy Speaker and senior JD(U) leader Maheshwar Hazari had said that no one is more capable of becoming the PM candidate of the INDIA alliance than Nitish Kumar.

On a question on possibility of cabinet expansion, Mr Kumar put the ball in his deputy Tejashwi Yadav's court.

"Ask this question to the deputy chief minister," he told reporters who asked him about speculations of cabinet expansion.

The state cabinet, headed by the JD(U) leader, at present has 28 ministers, with the RJD, to which Yadav belongs, enjoying the lion's share despite the resignation of two of its ministers.

On BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory remarks against BSP lawmaker Danish Ali in Lok Sabha recently, Mr Kumar said, "Just leave this topic. Our government is working for the betterment of all sections of the society."

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