The 71-year-old Bihar leader also accused the BJP of working against the JD(U) in 2020.
There will be no third front in 2024, and what will be formed next time will be the "main front", Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today to loud cheering at a conference of his party, the Janata Dal (United). He said parties opposed to the BJP can win with a "huge majority" in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls if they agree to join hands.
He said he will keep trying to make it a reality, and that it's up to these parties now. Mr Kumar has recently met several Opposition leaders, and is trying to stitch together an alliance of like-minded parties to challenge the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Some say he is eying a national role for himself as well, though he has denied harbouring ambitions of being the Prime Minister.
The 71-year-old Bihar leader also accused the BJP of working against the JD(U) in the 2020 assembly elections, despite being in an alliance at that time, and blamed his party's unsatisfactory performance in the last assembly elections on the alliance.
Without naming any party, the JD(U) chief took a shot at his former ally. "They (BJP) should be reminded that never before had our party won fewer seats, either in assembly polls of 2005 or 2010. In 2020, we suffered as they tried to ensure the defeat of our candidates," he said.
Mr Kumar also took a swipe at the media, saying they aren't "allowed" to report certain things, but have records of everything. "Once they are out of power, the media will publish it all," he jibed.
The longest-serving chief minister of the state recounted his reluctance to run for another term in office, but agreeing to do the same upon the BJP's insistence.
"But Bihar was not getting anything (from the BJP government at the Centre). The demand for special status was not accepted. He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) belongs to a state which has been prosperous since British Raj. The nation cannot progress without developing the poorer ones," he added.