Nitish Kumar's First TV Interview After Winning Bihar Election

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, courting fresh controversy with his call for a "Sangh-mukt Bharat" or an "India free from RSS", speaks to Shekhar Gupta on NDTV's Walk The Talk about his ties with BJP. He also says that respects and admires Arvind Kejriwal and thinks that the Delhi Chief Minister has the potential to become a national leader. Mr Kumar also comments issues like the Assam elections, the Bharat Mata Ki Jai controversy and reflects on a third front coalition countering the NDA and UPA at the national level.

Here are the highlights of what he said:
 

• 'People in Bihar have keen interest in politics'
• 'BJP got more seats than it could have imagined'
• 'People had a lot of expectations from BJP'
• 'I didn't have any expectation from BJP'
• 'BJP's approach under Vajpayee was different'
• 'Never faced problems when Vajpayee was leader'
• 'PM Modi has not kept promise on Minimum Support Price to farmers'
• 'There is a disenchantment with BJP government'
• 'BJP raising certain slogans to divert attention'
• 'BJP strategy of 'love jihad' and 'ghar wapasi' failed'
• 'The latest BJP trend is patriotism'
• 'BJP had no role in choosing the national flag'
• 'BJP's love for the tricolour is new'
• 'BJP imposing ideology as they think it's weak'
• 'People will accept BJP ideology if it has merit'
• 'Can't popularise any ideology by imposing it'
• 'Misconception that 2014 was BJP's ideological win'
• 'BJP benefited from public anger against Congress
• 'BJP not fulfilling promises made to people'
• 'BJP is trying to divide the country'
• 'Need a broad-based alliance against BJP'
• 'We need maximum possible unity against BJP'
• 'BJP diving society along communal, caste lines'
• 'BJP ideology poisonous as it divides society'
• 'I am not against any individual'
• 'After 2014 BJP thought they own the country'
• 'BJP mistook 2014 win as ideological victory'
• '2014 was not a victory of BJP ideologies'
• 'Whatever BJP said about Bihar not true'
• 'BJP ignored development in Bihar, attacked us'
• 'Centre, state need to cooperate for public welfare'
• 'I personally respect PM Modi'
• 'I have no personal opposition to PM Modi'
• 'BJP fought 2010 Bihar polls under my leadership'
• 'BJP did not say anything against me in 2010'
• 'The alliance was formed and ended on BJP's call'
• 'There is a flaw in BJP's thinking'
• 'A PM is neither backward, Dalit or forward'
• 'A PM is neither Hindu or Muslim'
• 'A Prime Minister is a Prime Minister'
• 'A Prime Minister belongs to the entire nation'
• 'Dignity of PM's post must be maintained at all times'
• 'Not a healthy tradition to use PM's caste'
• 'BJP set a wrong precedent by using PM's caste'
• 'BJP's hunger for power has increased'
• 'BJP thinks end justifies the means'
• 'BJP believes in doing whatever it takes to get power'
• 'Kanhaiya didn't say anything anti-national'
• 'Hope kanhaiya can raise political awareness'
• 'Kanhaiya should bring all students together'
• 'Kanhaiya has created a fear in BJP's mind'
• 'Need to set aside differences to fight BJP'
• 'It was congress decision to fight alone in Assam'
• 'Won't say Congress made mistake by going alone is Assam'
• 'Maulana Ajmal is very clear about what he wants'
• 'What is being said about maulana ajmal  is wrong'
• 'Maulana Ajmal is very frank  and secular'
• 'The situation in Uttar Pradesh Is very weird'
• 'We tried to bring together 6 parties'
• 'Samajwadi party backed out of the alliance'
• 'SP opposed us unnecessarily in Bihar polls'
• 'Alliance against BJP not possible without Congress, Left'
• 'Samajwadi Party does not ally with anyone'
• 'Mayawati does not ally with other parties'
• 'We shouldn't say no to national alliance against BJP'
• 'I am not trying to do anything for myself'
• 'Up to PM how he maintains people's support'
• 'People have given PM Modi a huge mandate'
• 'People will evaluate PM Modi based on his work'
• 'Rahul has a commitment towards the country'
• 'Rahul is committed to growth, development'
• 'Arvind Kejriwal is a self-made man'
• 'What Kejriwal has done is no ordinary achievement'
• 'Everyone has their own way of expressing themselves'
• 'I agree that Delhi should get full statehood'
• 'Kejriwal has leadership qualities'
• 'Was necessary for Lalu and I to come together'
• 'Lalu and I set aside differences to stop a wrong ideology'
• 'Tejaswi keen on learning'
• 'Will not forget my commitment to people'
• 'Will not break people's trust in me'
• 'Why should I talk about 2019 right now?'
• 'Bihar is a very politically conscious state'
• 'It's not a question of I being ready to lead anti-BJP front'
• 'I will keep working on forming anti-BJP front'
• 'Our national flag will always fly high'
• 'BJP's love for the national flag is new'
• 'How is 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' a political issue?'
• 'BJP dividing country in the name of Bharat Mata'
• 'BJP needs to talk about black money, jobs'
• Black money is real issue, not Bharat Mata'
• 'Want to tell BJP, such politics will not work'
• 'India is as much ours as it is yours'
• 'People now thinking BJP government doesn't want to work'
• 'You can't appoint yourself examiner of nationalism'