New Delhi, August 30
A day after he created a political flutter with his ‘Nitish Kumar has all qualities of PM’ comment, JD-U general secretary KC Tyagi on Monday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the leader of the BJP-led NDA and will be face of the coalition for the 2024 general elections as well.
“PM Narendra Modiji is and will be the PM candidate for 2024 general elections,” Tyagi was quoted as saying.
Tyagi yesterday said, “(Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar is not a candidate for the post of the Prime Minister. The JD-U is the most trusted member of the NDA and PM Modi is the leader of the alliance. But he (Kumar) certainly is a PM material.”
Apparently, the party also passed a resolution at its national council meeting that Bihar Chief Minister has “all the qualities” that a PM should have.
Briefing the media on the meeting, Tyagi also suggested NDA coordination committees for smooth functioning like during the tenure of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
BJP and JD-U are partners in the Centre and the state.
Of late the JD-U has backed the demand for an inquiry in the Pegasus spyware issue and also a caste census, along with lead opposition in Bihar, the RJD.
Stating that the JD-U wants to expand base and will be contesting Manipur and Uttar Pradesh elections, Tyagi also said in case no alliance is formed, it will contest alone.
As it aims for a national party status, sources say the BJP’s Bihar ally aiming for “50 seats” in the 403-member UP Assembly and that it may contest “200 seats in UP in 2022, if the seat sharing formula with the BJP does not work out”. But its first priority is to contest with the BJP, they add.
However, the ruling BJP is expected to contest the upcoming UP elections with existing allies like the Apna Dal and the Nishad Party.
