New Delhi: Setting aside his personal animosity, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek centre’s assistance in implementing central government’s policies in his state.
It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Modi took over as the prime minister in May last year.
Kumar met Modi at the prime minister’s South Block office and discussed various issues relating to Bihar. The meeting lasted for nearly 40 minutes.
According to Kumar, who took over as the Bihar chief minister again last month after a gap of nine months, his state stand to lose approximately Rs.100 billion in the current financial year in implementing many schemes sponsored by the centre which have been stopped due to lack of funds.
“I have requested that Bihar should be compensated for this. Bihar should get attention of a special state and get help from Backward Reserve Fund... We have made one thing clear that Bihar needs assistance because of the new schemes of the (central) government,” Kumar said after meeting Modi.
The Janata Dal (United) had snapped its 17-year-old ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013 after it became clear that BJP had overlooked Kumar’s objection and was ready to project the then Gujarat chief minister Modi as the National Democratic Alliance’s prime ministerial candidate for 2014 general elections.
Kumar had reservations that being seen by the side of Modi would cost him his Muslim vote bank due to taint on Modi for 2002 Gujarat communal riots.
Kumar’s gambit flopped as BJP and its allies won 31 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar, while the Janata Dal (United) could win just two seats, prompting Kumar to owe moral responsibility and quit as the Bihar chief minister in May 2013.
The two leaders exchanged barbs in the public during general elections which continued till last month when Kumar accused Modi of encouraging his hand-picked successor Jitan Ram Manjhi to rebel against him. Manjhi fought unsuccessfully till the end to block return of Kumar as the state chief minister.
“We may be political opponents but in terms of development, we have to work in sync,” Kumar had said before leaving for Delhi to attend a meeting of five chief ministers Modi has called for Ganga Action Plan. Kumar had sought one-to-one meeting with Modi before the Ganga Action Plan meeting.
He becomes the second chief minister after another Modi-baiter, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, to shed aside personal differences and seek centre’s help. Banerjee had earlier this month met Modi for the first time and sought waiver on payment of interests on debts of her state.
Kumar estimates that the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendations would cost Rs. 500 billion to Bihar over the next five years.
The prime minister’s office described the meeting as a routine courtesy call and said that his office would keep in regular touch to sort out any apprehensions Bihar may have over implementation of the central government schemes in Bihar.
Political circles feel that Kumar meeting Modi and seeking special package was more of a political gimmick considering his government has little time in hand to pursue the issue. Bihar is headed to elect its new state legislative assembly in October this year where both Kumar and Modi would be face to face in exchanging barbs over Bihar’s economic backwardness as BJP is expected to emerge the main contender for power against the present alliance government headed by Kumar.
