Patna: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar could join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) anytime and asked him to refrain from attending the third meeting of the Opposition parties scheduled in August in Mumbai.
"Nitish Kumar is one of us and can return anytime. He joined the NDA and then left. My question is if he wanted to leave the NDA and join the opposition then why did he join us in the first place?" Athawale, who is on a two-day visit to Bihar asked.
Kumar had walked out of the NDA alliance in 2022 and formed the government in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The Union Minister said that he has a good rapport with Kumar, whom he had known since he was a railway minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. "I have a great respect for him. He is a socialist leader," he said.
Urging Kumar to refrain from attending the third round of Opposition meeting, Athawale said that since the CM was upset at the name INDIA that was suggested by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he should not go to Mumbai for the meeting.
Kumar was against INDIA due to the letters 'NDA'. He was not in favour of the letter 'D' that stands for Democratic as NDA's D is also for Democratic. Kumar had suggested the name 'Indian Main Front'. He had left the venue without attending the joint press conference but denied of being upset with INDIA.
Applauding Kumar for undertaking development in Bihar, he said that the condition of roads has improved a lot during his tenure. Athavale said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the PM again as the Opposition has no power to defeat him. The more the PM is attacked, more stronger he would become, he added.
