Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said it was "stupid" of him to enter an alliance with the BJP in 2017 after parting ways four years earlier, and stressed that as long as Janata Dal United (JDU) exists, there will be "no compromise" with the BJP.
He was addressing party leaders at the JDU's national council meeting in Patna yesterday, a month after he walked out of the alliance with BJP and joined forces with Tejashwi Yadav's Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress to form a new government.
Mr Kumar said it was a "mistake" to re-enter an alliance with the BJP after breaking away in 2013. "We left the NDA in 2013, and we were doing good. Then in 2017, we made one mistake, we went back. Because of that, many people in states separated from us. After we decided to part ways (with BJP) again, many of them have appreciated the move," he said.
Mr Kumar had ended his alliance with BJP in 2013 after it declared Narendra Modi as its Prime Minister candidate for the Lok Sabha polls next year. In the 2015 Bihar polls, the alliance of JDU, RJD and the Congress registered a thumping victory.
Two years later, Nitish Kumar walked out of the alliance after then Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav refused to set down in the wake of corruption charges. He then tied up with the BJP again, drawing strong criticism for the somersault.
During yesterday's top JDU meet, Mr Kumar also explained the decision to go with the BJP again, without naming Tejashwi Yadav, his deputy in the new government. Choosing his words cautiously, the Bihar chief minister said, "The reason was that our suggestions were not being heard. No one was listening, so I was upset. From the other side (BJP), they tried hard. And I eventually agreed."
Invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Kumar said, "We were in his government. We got so much respect. So when these people came, we said, 'we are out'. Then they kept pressing and it was stupid to go with them again. We realised later how they are trying to break our party," he said.
"As long as our party exists, we will never enter any kind of compromise with them again. Never. The question does not arise," Mr Kumar added.
The latest reversal has also seen Mr Kumar pushing for a national role. He has, however, stressed that he has no ambitions for the Prime Minister's post.
"If Opposition unites, these people can be defeated. I will be visiting Delhi soon and will meet not just those who are with us, but others too," he said.
In a light moment, Mr Kumar said, "If you feel that I keep smiling these days, it is because I got 'mukti' (freedom) from them. We will now together take the country forward. You also look happy, you too are smiling."
"Those who are trying to destroy and capture the country, we will get freedom from them," he added.
He also targeted the centre for constantly taking credit for all welfare measures. Mr Kumar asked party leaders to step up JDU's membership drive and enrol as many people as possible.
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