Bihar politics (PTI images)
Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Friday dismissed RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s suggestion that former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar should become the Prime Minister.Responding to Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks, Paswan told reporters, “There’s no PM vacancy at present.” The comment comes amid renewed political sparring in Bihar after Tejashwi Yadav recently said that Nitish Kumar should be made the Prime Minister, a remark that has triggered reactions from leaders across party lines.Tejashwi made the remark amid the calls to appoint Nitish Kumar as India’s Deputy prime minister have intensified after both the JD(U) and the RJD backed the demand ahead of a possible union cabinet expansion.Talking to reporters, he said, “Nitish Kumar is worthy of being the Prime Minister… Calling him Deputy prime minister would be an insult to him.” ‘Nitish should be made Deputy PM’: JD(U)JD(U) leaders say Nitish Kumar’s decades of administrative experience and his tenure as both Bihar CM and Union minister make him the ideal candidate for a larger national role.Talking to ANI, JDU MLA Pankaj Mishra said, “Among the socialist leaders, only one figure remains: former chief minister Nitish Kumar. So, I said that if there is talk of him becoming a minister, he could even become the Deputy prime minister. If he were to become Dy PM, the voters of Bihar would be delighted…”While the BJP has not responded, the rare consensus between rival parties has fueled speculation over Nitish Kumar’s political future in Delhi.
