Opposition Parties: ‘No desire to become convener’: Nitish Kumar rejects speculation that he is unhappy with opposition conclave | India News

PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday rubbished the BJP’s allegation that he skipped the joint press briefing of the opposition parties’ in Bengaluru on Tuesday after being unhappy over not being made its convener.
“I have no desire to become the convener. I am doing other work to unite all opposition parties so that actions could be taken in the interest of the country.I have no personal desire,”Nitish said while responding to media queries soon after inaugurating the famous ‘Malmas Mela’ at Rajgir in Nalanda district.
Soon after the Bengaluru meeting attended by 26 parties from across the country, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi had on Tuesday claimed that Nitish returned to Patna without attending the joint press briefing as he was “upset” over not being made the convenor of the alliance.Nitish said the BJP leaders were talking “nonsense” on his skipping of the joint press briefing. “I skipped the press briefing and returned immediately after the meeting because I want to reach Rajgir the same day. As I had finished my work there (at the meeting), I left the venue after informing all concerned. It was not necessary to stay for the press briefing,” he said.
The CM also pooh-poohed the BJP allegation that he was unhappy with the acronym ‘INDIA’ for the alliance of the opposition parties. “Everything at the meeting was decided with the consent of all 26 opposition parties. Now there is no trouble on any issue. I have given my suggestions. …The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere,” Nitish said while dismissing the BJP allegation.

When his attention was drawn towards the statement of some BJP leaders, especially his former deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, Nitish asked, “Had he (Sushil Modi) gone to the Bengaluru meeting. How come he knew all this? This is why I say that they (BJP people) keep talking nonsense.”
Taking a swipe at the NDA meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday, Nitish asked, “Had he (PM Modi) ever convened the meeting of the NDA? They called the meeting of NDA just because we held the combined meeting of opposition parties.”
The Bihar CM also pointed out that the NDA was formed during the time of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. The meeting of NDA used to be held during the time of Atal Ji. But later, they never convened the NDA meeting (in the Modi regime).
Nitish also mocked the BJP for inviting ‘all and sundry’ to increase the number of parties at the NDA meeting. “Only known parties were invited at the opposition conclave whereas at the NDA meeting they invited even those who were ousted from the JD(U),” Nitish said while referring to the HAM(S) founder and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Watch Nitish unhappy over ‘INDIA’ name for Opposition alliance? Here is what the Bihar CM says | Detailed interview