Rahul Gandhi is the “only leader to wage a battle of ideology,” said Digvijaya Singh (File)
Nitish Kumar is expected to quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and back Tejashwi Yadav as chief minister, Congressman Digvijaya Singh said today, a day after the chief minister won a fourth term in Bihar, but with considerably reduced numbers.
In a series of tweets, Digvijaya Singh said the BJP had reduced the stature of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with his “kootneeti“(strategy) in Bihar.
“BJP is like a vine, it takes the support of another tree and flourishes as the tree dries up. Nitish ji, Lalu Yadav and you fought together and he went to jail. Let go of the BJP-RSS ideology and bless Tejashwi. Don’t let this vine-like BJP grow in Bihar, ”the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh tweeted.
Digvijaya Singh yesterday lost a prestige battle in Madhya Pradesh, with ex-colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia delivering some of the seats won by Congress in 2018 to the BJP in bypolls. Mr Scindia had blamed Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath when he left Congress in March with 22 MPs, bringing down the party government in Madhya Pradesh.
Digvjaya Singh also advised Nitish Kumar to leave Bihar and enter national politics. “Nitish ji, Bihar has become small for you. You should join national politics. Do not let the Union’s ‘divide and conquer’ policy. Help all socialists to believe in secular ideology. Think about it, ”said member Rajya Sabha.
He also said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was the “only leader in the country to wage an ideological battle”.
The NDA retained power in Bihar yesterday, but Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United won just 43 seats compared to ally BJP’s 74.
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which fielded 137 candidates, managed only one seat but reportedly damaged the JDU and reduced its tally, making it Bihar’s junior partner for the first time.
Tejashwi Yadav’s opposition RJD became the largest party with 75 seats, but its alliance was far from reaching a majority of 122 in the 243-member assembly. Congress turned out to be the weakest link in the opposition, winning just 19 of the 70 seats it contested.
