JD(U) leader demands Nitish Kumar be made I.N.D.I.A bloc convenor

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said Nitish Kumar is a big leader, and I.N.D.I.A has his guidance.

New Delhi: Janata Dal (United) leader Ram Nath Thakur Wednesday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should be made the convenor of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. The JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP said Nitish Kumar has built his image such that makes him the best fit for being the convenor of the opposition grouping.

"The image that Nitish Kumar has made for himself in Bihar, if he becomes the leader of I.N.D.I.A, it will be good," Thakur told PTI.

Asked to comment on Thakur's remark, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut said no such demand has been made in any meeting of the coalition. "If such a demand is made in the meeting of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, we will discuss it. Nitish Kumar ji is a big leader, I.N.D.I.A bloc has his guidance," he added.

To a question about Uddhav Thackrey, Thakur said, "Uddhav ji is a face which is acceptable to the country. I will not say for this post or that post, but he is staunch Hinduwadi and yet he is liberal. He takes everyone together."

K Suresh of the Congress said that he cannot comment on behalf of the I.N.D.I.A coalition but attacked the CPI(M) in Kerala over their remarks on his party's performance in the recently concluded assembly polls.

"We are fighting the BJP as well as the CPI(M) in Kerala. CPI(M) is not strong anywhere in India except Kerala. Pinnarayi Vijayan has to think about what moral right, he has to comment on the Congress party. We were defeated in three states, but our vote share is (intact) there" he said. 

About the unavailability of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin for the I.N.D.I.A bloc meeting on Wednesday, Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (UBT) said, "There's a flood in Chennai, so to expect Stalin to leave people of Tamil Nadu and come for the meeting is not right."