Nitish Kumar best man for prime minister post, says JD(U) leader

Patna: As speculation mounts over Bharatiya Janata Party's Narendra Modi being the NDA's prime ministerial candidate in the next general election, a senior Janata Dal(United) JD(U) leader has said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is the best man for the job. "There are several names doing the rounds for the post of PM. But Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is best among them," JD(U) leader Hari Kishore Singh said.

The JD(U) is the second-largest party in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). "Going by the reputation and experience of governance with justice, Nitish Kumar ranks first among those in the race for the post," added Singh, who is also vice chairman of the Bihar State Planning Board.

Without Nitish Kumar's support, no party would be able to form a government at the centre, he said. Singh criticised BJP leader Yashwant Sinha for supporting Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The JD-U is the second-largest party in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

In 2012, Panchayati Raj and Rural Works Minister Bhim Singh had triggered a controversy when he asked the BJP to declare Nitish Kumar as the NDA's prime ministerial nominee. However, later the minister expressed his regret after Nitish Kumar aired his unhappiness over his remarks. Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said that he is not in race for the PM post.

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