Q: Recently you wrote an article saying that some leaders are uncomfortable with Nitish Kumar’s rising popularity. Who are these leaders?
A: I am not targeting anyone, but during the first two terms (as Chief Minister of Bihar), Nitish Kumar was found to be the most delivering, most successful CM by many media houses. When we parted ways with the NDA and made a Grand Alliance, there was disappointment all around. Ghar wapsi, love jihad and lynching of Akhlaq were happening amidst BJP’s onslaught on the Opposition and it was during this time that Nitish defeated BJP (in Bihar) and proved that he is the man who can check the BJP. Everyone praised him including Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Sharad Pawar, H.D. Deve Gowda and said that he is PM material, but we very humbly said that we are a small party. All of a sudden, a spurt of statements that amounted to character assassination began against us, after demonetisation. We had excellent relations with Mamata Banerjee and they (TMC) helped us during the elections. Despite having good relations with the Left, we helped Mamata Banerjee. We were very surprised when she came to Patna and passed needless comments against Nitish Kumar, after we supported demonetisation. Soon a campaign was launched that we were supporting NDA. We supported demonetisation because it was supposed to end corruption; we have a history of supporting such endeavours.
Q: Why did the JDU take a different path from its alliance partners on the issue of surgical strike, demonetisation and most recently the Presidential poll?
A: Under this (NDA) government, the maximum number of infiltrations has happened, the maximum number of soldiers has been killed and Kashmir is nearly destroyed. When in this context the Army carried out the surgical strike, which patriotic Indian would have questioned that? We supported the surgical strike despite the BJP misusing it for electoral purpose. After that the issue of the Presidential poll came up. Nitish Kumar himself suggested to Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the Opposition parties should come together and project a candidate. We were still in the midst of discussions and it was during this time that the name of Gopal Krishna Gandhi started coming up. The Left, TMC, NCP and JDS all were supporting him and on 3 June, on the birthday of Karunanidhi, Nitish Kumar told Sitaram Yechury, “Yes, go ahead” with Gandhi. However, no serious discussion on this was ever done by Congress leaders. We along with the NCP and JDS had an apprehension that the Congress wanted someone who was from a Congress background as the President candidate but neither Sonia Gandhi nor any of the senior Congress leaders took us into confidence regarding Meira Kumar. In the midst of all this, Dr Ram Nath Kovind’s name was announced as NDA candidate. He has been the Governor of Bihar for long. After a long time, Bihar has got a Governor who built excellent relations with the state government, so much so that on some occasions, even the Bihar BJP state leadership was uncomfortable with him. He never turned the Raj Bhawan into an “akhada” of the BJP, unlike what is happening in other states. We have high regard for him because of this. Until his name was announced, the name of Meira Kumar had not come up and Nitish Kumar called up everyone including Sonia Gandhi, Lalu Yadav and Sitaram Yechury and clearly told them he would not go against Kovind because of the relationship and cooperation he had with him. The same criticism-campaign started against us that we were going to join the NDA. If Sonia Gandhi had announced the name of Meira Kumar before Kovind, we would have supported her, we would have supported even Gandhi if his name was announced before Kovind but since you (Congress) were busy in political games, you did not. We also feel that the BJP too played a third grade game. Had they presented Kovind from the start, I am sure no party would have opposed him. Since then, we have time and again said that this is a one-time incident (of supporting the NDA’s choice.
Q: You say that Nitish has a clean record, but RJD president Lalu Yadav is a convict in the fodder scam. His children are facing investigation for alleged corruption and their properties have been attached. Is not a person known by the company he keeps?
A: Lalu is not holding any post in the government. His sons were not facing any criminal case or investigation when they took oath as Cabinet ministers. Till the time investigation is not completed (against them) or the court does not make any comment, I do not want to give any positive or negative comment in this context. Multiple NDA ministers are facing investigation, including Uma Bharti, against whom even a charge-sheet has been filed. Has she resigned? Why this double standard?
“Congress did not take us into confidence regarding Meira Kumar. If Sonia Gandhi had announced the name of Meira Kumar before BJP announced Kovind’s name, we would have supported her, we would have supported even Gopal Gandhi if his name was announced before Kovind.”
Q: RJD and Congress leaders made multiple statements against JDU leaders. People are asking why you are accepting so much insult.
A: No one is brave enough to insult us. No one is born until now who can insult us. There is a difference of opinion; we have differences with the Congress on many issues.
Q: Can RJD leaders make a statement without the permission of Lalu Yadav?
A: We believe that not even a leaf moves in RJD without Lalu Prasad Yadav’s permission and that is why we have spoken to him and said that such incidents should not happen.
Q: BJP leaders including Sushil Modi have said that the BJP will support the JDU in Bihar if it leaves the Grand Alliance.
A: We support things that are good for the country, even if it is done by the opposition. We do not believe criticising everything just because it is done by the opposition. But we do not think the time has come where we should rethink our decision (to part with the Grand Alliance).
Q: The next elections are due after three years. Will the Grand Alliance last until then?
A: We had promised the people of Bihar at the historic Gandhi Maidan (when the Grand Alliance government was sworn in 2015) that with the help of this alliance, we would give them good governance and stop the BJP from expanding in Bihar. As of now there is no issue which can finish off this alliance but I want to request the leaders of our alliance partners that you are working with the “ablest” CM of the country and when you malign him, you help the BJP. He (Nitish Kumar) is PM material and they should make efforts to push him towards his rightful place, but some of our friends start having stomach aches when we call him PM material.