Why Bihar CM Nitish Kumar feels Lok Sabha elections may be held early

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently predicted the possibility of early general elections, on Friday, reiterated that there is a chance that the ruling BJP may go for early polls sensing that the opposition unity is gaining momentum.

"What I said was in jest (aise hi kah diya tha), but the possibility cannot be ruled out. The current dispensation may feel that if our opposition unity bid gathered momentum, it would inflict on them bigger losses. So they could take recourse to early polls," the Bihar CM was quoted as saying, reported PTI.

A government at the Centre always has this option (to hold early polls), Kumar observed. "Early polls took place in 2004 too even though the then prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not in favour of the same,” he added.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav too had concurred with Kumar's speculation on Thursday saying, "You never know, it is possible..... Everything is in the hands of the ruling dispensation at the Centre."

Kumar's claim that the polls will be held early had attracted criticism from the BJP which said the Bihar CM wants assembly elections in the state to be clubbed with general elections.

Union minister Giriraj Singh had dismissed Kumar's speculation with a dig: "It is great to see that Nitish Kumar has become a soothsayer." "Nitish Kumar is unable to govern Bihar but takes great interest in affairs outside his state," he added.

Manjhi was spying on opposition: Kumar

Meanwhile, Kumar, on Friday, also defended the ouster of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi from the state's ruling 'Mahagathbandhan', alleging that the Hindustani Awam Morcha founder was virtually spying on opposition parties at the BJP's behest.

Kumar, who is till date criticised by his detractors for the unceremonious removal of Manjhi within less than a year of becoming the CM, said, "He started making a mess of everything within two months. I was left with no choice but to step in."

Kumar insisted that despite the bad blood between Manjhi and himself, he always treated the HAM chief with respect, and ahead of the 2020 assembly polls, "when he expressed the desire to join hands, the BJP was not ready to make any adjustments with him on seats, so we parted with a few from our quota".

The chief minister also chided Manjhi for crying hoarse over his "loyalty" never being respected, pointing out that "when he decided to come to Mahagathbandhan with me, Suman's (Manjhi's son) ministerial berth was protected".

"Of late he had begun to hobnob with the BJP people,” said Kumar, apparently referring to Manjhi's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in April.

"I had received inputs that he was informing on Mahagathbandhan and its plans. He was very insistent on being a part of the June 23 meeting as well,” the Bihar CM claimed.

Kumar said, "I was apprehensive that he might be thinking of leaking to the BJP whatever deliberations would be held on June 23 when so many leaders from across the country will be sitting together".

—With PTI inputs