Express News Service
PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday put to rest the speculation about him going to the Rajya Sabha of which he had never been a member in the past.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote for the legislative council election in Patna, Nitish expressed surprise over his name appearing in a section of the media that he was willing to go to the Rajya Sabha.
In response to a question, Nitish with a smile on his face said, “Aise hin kuchh bhi chhapte rahta hai. Hum bhi dekhkar ashcharyachakit hain (Irrelevant things are published. I am also surprised to see it).” In an informal chat with some mediapersons in the official chamber of the Chief Minister in the assembly last Wednesday, Nitish had expressed his desire to serve as a member of the Rajya Sabha some day.
On the contrary, Nitish’s statement on Monday suggested that he intends to remain active in state politics for the time being. JDU national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha had earlier made similar comments and described it as ‘rumours’.
Nitish’s remarks came two days after two senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party—Sushil Kumar Modi and Syed Shahnawaz Hussain—clarified that Nitish would complete his full term of five years in the Chief Minister’s post.
“Nitish Kumar will continue to serve as the Chief Minister of Bihar for five years. There is no confusion about it. The NDA was voted to power in 2020 assembly election and Nitish was made the CM again,” the two BJP leaders said.
The assembly election was contested after the announcement of Nitish Kumar as the CM face of the NDA. Even Amit Shah at a public meeting in Vaishali ahead of the assembly election had clarified that Nitish will become the CM of Bihar if the NDA was voted to power again.
Subsequently Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive term.
If Nitish goes to the Rajya Sabha, he will match his contemporaries, Lalu Prasad and Sushil Kumar Modi, who had been members of both Houses of Parliament and the legislative assembly and legislative council in the state.
