Click to play videoPatna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose Janata Dal-United party is an important member of the National Democratic Alliance, on Friday said the new government at the Centre must give his state special status.
"Whoever forms a government the aim is to get special status for Bihar,” said Kumar at a book release function in Patna.
"I am clear about extending support to any party or alliance that will grant the special category status to Bihar," said Kumar after the release of the book Special Category Status - A Case for Bihar.
Hours before votes for general elections are counted, his statement was interpreted as indication that he was willing to negotiate with any alliance that would give special status to Bihar.
Kumar denied this and clarified that what he meant was that any political alliance which comes to power in New Delhi must consider giving Bihar special status. “Any party or alliance which forms government should consider giving special status,” he said.
Kumar denied that Prime Manmohan Singh had discussed flood relief with him during their phone conversation on Wednesday. "Forget about giving Bihar the status of a special state, he didn't give time for us to discuss this,” he said.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh told Network 18 that the Centre is willing to give special status to Bihar but Kumar must spell out what he wants. “First Nitish needs to define what special status means. We have always been sensitive towards the needs of Bihar,” he said.
"We need to understand what special status is," said Singh.
Kumar, whose party is expected to do well in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, has repeatedly said that he won’t abandon the BJP-led NDA.
BJP president Rajnath Singh downplayed Kumar's statement and said the JD-U leader would remain with the NDA. "I am confident that the BJP will emerge as the single largest party and NDA as largest alliance. Advani will become the country's Prime Minister," he said in New Delhi.
"Kumar hasn't asked for anything unusual. He knows which alliance will give Bihar a special status. He is part of the NDA and has assured us support," he said
BJP leader and Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi said there should be no doubt that Kumar would remain with the NDA. "I am not aware that on what context he has said this but it doesn't mean that he will support the Left or Congress. Nitish has been with us from many years and he has cleared many times that that he is with the NDA," he said.
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