PM claimant Nitish Kumar could not even become INDIA bloc convenor: Pashupati Paras

Patna (Bihar) [India], December 20 : Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) President Pashupati Kumar Paras said tha Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who allegedly wanted to be the Prime Minister, could not even be the convenor of INDIA bloc.
"In Patna there was a poster saying, "Desh ka Pradhan Mantri kaisa ho. Nitish Kumar jaisa ho." In the alliance, let alone the post of Prime Minister, he has not been able to be anyone's mop. There was talk about making him the convenor, but that did not materialise. In the press conference, neither Nitsh nor Lalu reached, both of them went away in anger," Pashupati Paras said speaking to ANI on Wednesday.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed as the prime ministerial candidate for the INDIA bloc by Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal in the just-held meeting, where all 28 partners have converged to chalk plans for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
However, Kharge played down suggestions about being the prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc and said the matter will be decided later and their priority is to try and get a majority.
Paras said that though Nitish Kumar has time and again said that he is not a claimant to the Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition bloc, it is not true. Paras even added that this was the reason why Kumar left the NDA and joined the RJD alliance.
"Nitish says time and again that he is not in the race to be the Prime Minister, but actually he is 100 per cent the claimant to the Prime Minister's post. That is why he left the NDA and joined the RJD alliance," he said.
Dismissing the opposition alliance, Paras said that the first meeting of the opposition bloc showed that the alliance has the "foundation of sand".
"This alliance has the foundation of sand. Morning shows the day. The first meeting of the alliance in September or June highlighted that this alliance has the foundation of sand. In some meetings, Mamata Banerjee left, Arvind Kejriwal left. During the meeting in Bombay, Nitish left..." the RLJP president said.
Paras, who is also a Union Minister reasoned that it is not possible to have an alliance comprising so many parties since the north and the south have different caste and religious dynamics.
"It is not possible to have an alliance comprising 27-28 parties. The North has a different caste and religious dynamics and the South has something else," he said.
The RJLP leader highlighted that the stature of Narendra Modi is such that his popularity is known worldwide and even the US President has asked for his autograph.
"Moreover, as of today, the stature of Narendra Modi is such that his popularity is known worldwide. Even the President of a powerful country like America said that Modi is such a popular leader that he wishes to take his autograph. He conducted the G20 meeting, called a special session, passed the Women's Reservation Bill and gave money to PM Vishwakarma Yojana that would empower artisans from lower castes," Paras said.
The Union Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is popular even among the poor section of minority communities.
"In the recently held elections in the five states, where even we did not hope, we were able to form a government with two-third majority...Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the country's only leader under whose leadership, everyone in the country is united, whether the poor, oppressed, backward, dalit and even the poor people among the minority communities," Paras said.
The RJLD Minister expressed confidence that the NDA will bag more than 400 seats in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come back to power for the third time.
"In 2024, whenever the Lok Sabha elections are held, the country is united under the leadership of Narednra Modi and the NDA will bag more than 400 seats and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come back to power for the third time," he said.