"Would Be Suicidal": Nitish Kumar's Party Leader Over Merger Hints

Janata Dal (United) leader Upendra Kushwaha has said that the goal of parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should be to do well in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and it will be suicidal if there is a merger of JD(U) with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead of the next assembly polls in the state.

Mr Kushwaha's remarks come in the wake of comments of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about fighting the next assembly polls under the leadership of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister.

Talking about the 'Mahagatbandhan' in 2025, Mr Kushwaha said, "our primary focus is the Lok Sabha election of 2024."

He said opposition parties will be brought under one roof under the leadership of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

Rejecting any possibility of a merger of JD(U) and RJD, he said "it would be suicidal if the two parties get merged".

"The existence of JD(U) would be at stake," he said.

He also referred to proceedings in the state assembly in which the BJP leaders attacked the state government over deaths due to spurious liquor in Saran district's Chhapra area.

"If the opposition wants to debate and discuss any matter, they are welcome. But it's not right to disrupt the proceedings," he said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday lost his cool in the state assembly when leaders of the BJP attacked his government over the Chhapra incident. Mr Kushwaha also expressed his condolences over the deaths of people caused by the consumption of spurious liquor.

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