Nitish should not be chief ministerial face in 2020: Kushwaha

Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, chief of NDA constituent Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, on Wednesday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should not be chief ministerial candidate in 2020 assembly polls.

“Nitish Kumar should not be the face of chief ministerial candidate in next assembly polls,” he told a local TV channel here.

Calling for a new face to be projected as NDA’s chief ministerial candidate in place of Nitish Kumar, Kushwaha said: “Nitish Kumar will be Chief Minister for 15 years till 2020, now other should get opportunity to work as Chief Minister.”

“Nitish Kumar should go for bigger politics now and he should say no to the Chief Minister’s post,” he added.

Reacting strongly to Kushwaha’s statement, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United leader K.C. Tyagi said Nitish Kumar would continue as Chief Minister till people of the state wanted him.

Kushwaha’s statement indicates cracks in NDA in Bihar ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls with differences over seat sharing among allies are yet to be resolves.

Last month, the RLSP has presented its chief Kushwaha as a possible Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2020 Assembly polls, with party leader Nagmani saying he had a greater mass base than Nitish Kumar.

Published on: July 25, 2018 at 20:43 IST

IANS