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Amid the opposition’s insistence that the NDA will not retain Nitish Kumar as the chief minister if it returns to power in Bihar, election incharge and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said there was never a doubt if the JD(U) leader will continue in the top post. Bihar will vote in the first phase on Thursday (November 6). Ahead of this, Pradhan launched a scathing attack on the opposition Mahagathbandhan, especially targeting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Pradhan told News18, in an exclusive interview, that those throwing insults at Nitish Kumar now will have to eat humble pie when the election results are declared on November 14. “There was never a doubt whether Nitish Kumar would continue as a CM or not. The chief minister himself has been saying that under the guidance of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, we will only take the state forward. Those who are humiliating Nitish Kumar will have to eat humble pie,” Pradhan said. He said Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav do not have manners and they have no respect for elders. He said people who belong to dynasties believe in divisive politics and are politically bankrupt. “People who are dynasty and believe in divisive politics are politically bankrupt. They are intolerant and narrow-minded along with being arrogant; therefore, they have no control over their language, and have forgotten all decency,” he said. Talking about the NDA’s chances in the assembly polls, the Union minister said he does not want to give any numbers but will “go over and above” the estimate of 160 seats as predicted by senior BJP leader Amit Shah. “We do not want to give any numbers, but our leader Amit Shah has said we will get 160. I am sure we will go over and above that,” he said. ‘OPPOSITION LOOKING TO FORM JUNGLE RAJ 2’ In another swipe at the opposition, which released an ambitious poll manifesto, Pradhan said people of Bihar are determined to give the NDA government a chance as they have not promised the moon. “We have spoken about jobs and employment, both, and what we have said are all doable. We are not promising the moon to people, we are not Mungerilal,” he said in a reference to the 1989 television series, Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne, about a man who is the quintessential daydreamer. Once again bringing up the “jungle raj” era of politics, he said unlike the opposition, the NDA has a proven track record of 20 years. “…people have not forgotten that era of ‘jungle raj’ and those people who support that kind of mindset are looking at forming ‘jungle raj 2’,” he said. The Union minister said he is confident the people of Bihar are with the NDA. He said the opposition will not come to power as the youth of the state have understood what the opposition stands for and will not believe what they are saying. “People will not believe what the opposition is saying because they know very well that they can promise the moon. They are not going to come back to power. I’m confident because people are with us; we have improved the law and order situation. We have done well for the people. We are determined to give Bihar a new-age economy in which the youth and women are with us,” he added. ‘FIGHT BETWEEN NDA, OPPOSITION’ Asked about the third factor – Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party – in this election, Pradhan said this is a fight between the NDA and opposition. “This is a fight between the NDA and the opposition…NDA is our strength, and we are fighting together; we started this alliance in 1996 in Bihar, and since then we have only seen this becoming solid. It’s a social alliance, not just a political alliance,” he added.
