In PM Modi, Nitish Kumar"s Back-and-Forth, the Shadow of Bihar Polls

Patna:  The prickly relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reflected in the back-and-forth between the two during the launch of development projects in Patna on Saturday. The two leaders addressed each other politely, but did not shy away from subtle digs ahead of assembly polls in which their parties are the main rivals.

Speaking before the Prime Minister, Nitish Kumar said: “I have a personal request for the PM. When he was Chief Minister of Gujarat, I went to his state as railways minister to inaugurate various projects. He should facilitate the completion of the Daniawan-Bihar Sharif rail project that should have begun much earlier.”

Referring to the previous BJP government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee till 2004, Mr Kumar said: “If a decision had not been taken at the time to hold elections six months before schedule, then the project would have started in 2004.”

PM Modi responded: “I agree with Nitish ji. The work that would have been completed during the Vajpayee government is being completed now. I agree with Nitish Kumar that the rail work would have been completed if Vajpayee remained in power. He was railways minister then. I share Nitish Kumar’s pain. Bihar suffered because of politics.”

He went on to address the Chief Minister’s demand for a special package for Bihar, saying that he would keep his promise of Rs 50,000 crore for the state and announce it soon, just not today.



“I had promised to give a 50,000 crore package to Bihar. I will keep my promise and go even further,” PM Modi said.

Nitish Kumar has been one of Narendra Modi’s fiercest critics and severed ties with the BJP in 2013 over the projection of Mr Modi as prime ministerial candidate.

As PM Modi arrived in Bihar this morning to launch his party’s campaign, Nitish Kumar had seven questions for him and even took a swipe at him, saying he was “grateful” that the PM took time to visit Bihar after 14 months.



 



“I am raising 7 critical issues-2 specific to Bihar and 5 that in my view people across India want to hear from the Prime Minister,” Mr Kumar said in a tweet.