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Patna
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party Janata Dal (United) on Friday (Jan 26), shunned rumours of return to BJP-led NDA stating that the party was "firmly with the I.N.D.I.A coalition".
However, the state JD(U) president Umesh Singh Kushwaha in his statement said that the party wanted the Congress to introspect regarding alliance partners and the sharing of seats.
"All is well in Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan and the media speculations are driven by some agenda," Kushwaha told reporters.
He also said, "I met the CM yesterday as well as today. It is a routine affair. There is no truth in the rumours doing the rounds. We also reject the rumours that party MLAs have been asked to rush to Patna".
He then said that Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav were " firmly with INDIA coalition".
Kushwaha, however, urged the Congress to do some introspection and said, "We want the Congress, which is our alliance partner, to do some introspection with regard to its stance towards other constituents and sharing of seats. Our leader Nitish Kumar has for long been stressing on the need for early finalisation of seat-sharing deal so that we could concentrate on Lok Sabha polls".
Also read: Trouble in INDIA paradise? Bihar CM Nitish Kumar may return to BJP-led NDA fold: Reports
Kushwaha calls reports of Kumar going back to NDA rumours
On being asked about the party's return to the NDA, the JD(U) leader said, "These are rumours spread by those with some agenda".
"Nitish Kumar is our leader in Bihar. I have no idea from where rumours of his going back to NDA have emanated," he further said.
During a press briefing, Kushwaha was also asked about Rohini Acharya's social media posts, who is the daughter of RJD - coalition partner - chief Lalu Prasad, where she supposedly took a jibe at Kumar.
The JD(U) leader replied, "We take no notice of that because Rohini Acharya is not an RJD office-bearer".
Meanwhile, when asked about the delay in seat-sharing in the opposition bloc INDIA, state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh asked, "why nobody asks about the BJP-led NDA? They, too are yet to sort out sharing of seats with allies".
(With inputs from agencies)