JD-U, BJP have nothing in common, says Nitish Kumar

NEW DELHI - A day after the second phase of Bihar assembly polls, Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar Monday said that his party has nothing in common with alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

We have a totally different ideology from the BJP,” Nitish Kumar said in an interview to CNN-IBN.

The question of having a similar school of thought need not arise, if in an alliance there is a common programme. That very programme contains minority welfare also and we implement that,” he said.

“The fact is that ideologies are different, there is no similarity on many issues, and there cannot be also. In an alliance, the government is made together, elections are fought together, there is a common programme, Nitish Kumar said.

He added that not letting Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi campaign in Bihar was a decision of the alliance partner.

This (Narendra Modi’s campaign) is not our matter, it’s the BJP’s. They have to decide, we are nowhere interfering in their decision on who has to be called and who doesn’t, he said.

The JD-U leader rejected any possibility of having an alliance with the Congress.

I am a product of the JP (Jayaprakash Narayan) movement and that doesn’t even come in my line of thinking. I have good relations with the BJP and have had a good experience working with them. That’s why I am still working with them and will continue to do so, he said.

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s icon status, Nitish Kumar avoided a direct comment and said any boy born in a normal family is an icon.

I am talking about the new generation and not about a youth icon. For me, any boy born in a normal family is an icon and I think that the new generation is smart and will move ahead. I do not want to talk about an individual, he said.

Nitish Kumar added that development was an important issue in Bihar polls.

The victory of development in these elections will be a victory for Bihar. People should take inspiration from the past and break through the caste divide. This will lead to the development of Bihar. I am happy about the fact that the new generation has realised this, he said.

Though many people will try and create a caste divide, it will not work. Everyone is working towards development. If Bihar is strong, the country will be strong and it is our duty to contribute to national growth, the JD-U leader said.