Lok Sabha elections in Bihar: Nitish Kumar lashes out at Shahnawaz Hussain

PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has lashed out at BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who recently claimed that the former took his Bhagalpur seat. In an interview with a private TV news channel, Nitish said Shahnawaz won from Bhagalpur for the first time on JD(U) support.

“Why doesn’t he (Shahnawaz) ask his party president? Why doesn’t he ask incharge of his party in the state about it? Do you know when did BJP give ticket to Shahnawaz? When our (NDA) government was formed here (Bihar), I was an MP and Sushil Kumar Modi was also an MP from Bhagalpur. You ask Arun Jaitley and Sushil Modi, who insisted to field Shahnawaz from Bhagalpur in the byelection?” Nitish said.

Sushil Modi had won from Bhagalpur in the 2004 general elections, but he was made the deputy CM after Nitish-led NDA government of JD(U) and BJP was formed in the state in 2005. This necessitated byelection for Bhagalpur seat in 2006 and Shahnawaz had defeated Shakuni Choudhary of RJD.

“I was not a part of that party, we were in alliance. We shared good relations with each other. They gave him (Shahnawaz) the ticket from Bhagalpur only for honouring my word. Otherwise, what relation he had with Bhagalpur? Next time (general election) also he won. But making such statements shows that the person (Shahnawaz) is not aware of the internal affairs of his own party. When did I ask for any seat? If I insisted on any one seat in Bihar, that was Darbhanga,” Nitish told the news channel.

Shahnawaz could not be contacted and other BJP leaders in state also refused to comment on the issue.

Earlier, Shahnawaz through tweets had blamed Nitish for “taking his seat”. He had also blamed Nitish for making BJP cede five sitting seats to its allies in the seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar NDA.

“I will not be contesting from Bhagalpur this time. As part of NDA alliance in Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has taken my seat along with seats of six sitting MPs of BJP. However, I will work hard for the party in Lok Sabha elections,” he had tweeted.

Shahnawaz had lost to RJD’s Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal from Bhagalpur in 2014.