New Delhi, India

As the NDA alliance prepares for the oath-taking ceremony on Sunday (June 9) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital, reports have emerged that JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar was offered the post of the prime minister by the INDIA bloc in exchange of shifting loyalties.

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Speaking to The Indian Express, Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi said, "Such is the game of politics that those who had refused to make Nitish Kumar INDIA bloc’s national convenor have been now making offers to make Nitish PM."

The senior JD(U) leader accused Congress and other parties of ‘ill-treating’ Kumar. He added that his party will not return to the INDIA bloc.

Also Read: Modi 3.0 Cabinet: Nitish Kumar's JD (U) to get two ministries, TDP seeks four: report

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Kumar played an instrumental role in the INDIA bloc's formation in 2023. He changed sides in January and joined NDA before the Lok Sabha elections. 

Here's how Congress reacted to Tyagi's statement

On Saturday (June 8), the Congress refuted the claims made by KC Tyagi that Nitish Kumar was offered the post of the prime minister. “We don't have any such information,” said Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, at the press conference after the Congress Working Committee meeting. 

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While addressing NDA's parliamentary meeting on Friday (June 7), Kumar proposed to name Narendra Modi as the leader of the coalition and said, "Those who have won this time will lose the next elections. I'm confident about it. They never worked for the nation. They never served the country. The country will progress under your (PM Modi) leadership."

Watch: PM Narendra Modi swearing-in ceremony: Three-layered security to be put in place

“All the pending works of Bihar will be done. It is a very good thing that all of us have come together and we will all work together with you (PM Modi). You will be swearing in as the Prime Minister on Sunday, but I wanted you to do it today itself. Whenever you take the oath, we will be with you…We will all work together under your leadership," he added.

Nitish Kumar's JD(U), after clinching 12 seats, became a crucial ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. 

(With inputs from agencies)