Tejashwi Yadav Predicts Yet Another Volte-Face By Nitish Kumar After Lok Sabha Polls

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday predicted yet another volte-face by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, claiming that the JD(U) president would take a "big decision" once Lok Sabha poll results were out.

Talking to reporters, Mr Yadav, who had lost his job as Deputy Chief Minister following Mr Kumar's abrupt return to NDA in January, also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not return to power.

"Modi has lost. He will not be the Prime Minister after June 4. The country will have a new government, sensitive to the crying need for job creation," said Mr Yadav.

The RJD leader was replying to queries on PM Modi's claim, in an interview, of NDA's return to power with "a big surprise" in West Bengal, currently ruled by Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress is an INDIA partner.

Mr Yadav also said, "I would like to add something about my 'chachaji' (uncle Nitish Kumar). He may take a big step after the NDA is voted out of power at the Centre." When asked whether he would realign with the JD(U) chief by whom he was betrayed just a few months ago, Mr Yadav said, "That will be seen later. But as of now, I foresee a big decision by him, in the interests of saving his party and his pro-OBC politics."

In the past decade, Mr Kumar has tied up with RJD, headed by Mr Yadav's father Lalu Prasad, on two occasions, only to realign with the BJP, his ally since the 1990s.

The young RJD leader has been trying to fish in the Bihar NDA's troubled waters during the Lok Sabha polls campaign.

Asked whether he will attend the proposed meeting of the INDIA bloc on June 1, Mr Yadav, who has been addressing rallies seated in his wheelchair, with a belt wrapped around his injured spine, replied in the affirmative.

"Yes I will be going," he said.

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