Nitish's DNA is Anti-Congress and Anti-Corruption, Says Sushil Modi

Patna: In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 minutes after being sworn-in as the deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Modi said the party was in touch with a few MLAs from the RJD and the Congress, but was sure that the BJP didn’t need their support.

“We have the numbers. We have the support of 131 MLAs. We have asked for a floor test tomorrow (Friday). We are absolutely ready to prove our majority,” Modi said.

Commenting on the new government, Modi said Bihar was going to see a stable government and that the partnership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar will create a “miracle” in Bihar.

“The PM and Nitish Kumar signify good governance. The people of Bihar wanted this alliance and it is a natural one,” he added.

This is the second time that Nitish Kumar has entered into an alliance with the BJP. NDA had ruled Bihar between 2005 and 2013. Nitish Kumar then broke away when the BJP decided to field Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.

“Nitish was acceptable back then and is so even now. No alliance is made on bond papers or is based on agreements, but ours is a natural one,” the deputy CM said, adding that Nitish Kumar’s “DNA is anti-Congress”.

“There are certain things that the CM doesn’t compromise on. Corruption, for one. And also the feeling of anti-Congress. He knows exactly how the BJP functions, so there is no question of any chaos in Bihar anymore,” he said.

Claiming that the new alliance will sweep the 2019 poll, he said the accusations being thrown at Kumar for having ‘betrayed the mandate on which he won’ held no grounds since the alliance with RJD’s Lalu Yadav was an unnatural one.

“No sensible person would want to work with Lalu. The CM broke off with us, but then he also knew, like the people of Bihar, that the JD(U)-Congress-RJD alliance was an unnatural one which died a natural death,” the deputy CM told News18.

Quashing all rumours of the BJP being hand-in-glove with planning Nitish Kumar’s exit from the Mahagathbandhan, Sushil Modi said that he had not spoken to Nitish in four years, except for the informal times he had done so at public gatherings.

“The BJP was not aware of Nitish’s intentions. However, I was aware that most JD(U) leaders wanted to break away from the alliance with the RJD and that the JD(U) and the BJP must come together,” he said.

“But who can blame them or Nitish Kumar? He was clear that he wanted Lalu’s son Tejashwi to clarify, which he didn’t. I have known Nitish for 17 years. He’s not one to compromise on corruption and scams,” the deputy CM said.

Adding that he himself was exhausted with the documents that stated Lalu and his family’s corrupt land deals, the deputy CM said he still had 20-30 more documents that could make things worse for the RJD chief and his family.

“Everything is out on the public domain. People around Lalu feel suffocated. In fact, I received some of the documents from people in power. That just shows the trust people had in Lalu and his party,” Sushil Modi said.

So does the ousting of Lalu mean that Bihar will now see a ‘stable’ government with little or no chaos?

“Where is the question of chaos or instability? This alliance between JD(U) and BJP will create miracles. It’s stronger than before and together, Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar will create a wave in Bihar,” he said.