Patna

The JD(U) on Thursday said that after its president Nitish Kumar stepped down as chief minister, the party let the BJP have the top post to reciprocate the "support" received from the alliance partner in the past.

The statement was made by senior JD(U) leader and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary at a press conference here.

"Tomorrow, the new government headed by Samrat Choudhary will seek a vote of confidence. A single-day session of the assembly has been called for this very purpose. The ruling NDA enjoys a thumping majority, so winning the trust vote is a foregone conclusion," Chaudhary said.

He said that it must be kept in mind that the new government is also blessed by Nitish Kumar, who gave up the post as he took the decision to move to the Rajya Sabha.

"But the people of the state have repeatedly reposed their trust in him. So all should rest assured that the new government shall follow in the footsteps of Nitish Kumar," said Chaudhary.

Earlier, state JD(U) president Umesh Kushwaha said in the press conference that Chaudhary intended to answer any questions related to the power transition in the state, which began with Nitish Kumar announcing his decision to contest Rajya Sabha polls a month ago. Upon his election, Samrat Choudhary took over as the first Bihar chief minister from the BJP.

When Chaudhary was asked why the JD(U) did not press to keep with itself the chief minister's post after Kumar relinquished it, he replied: "The BJP has been an old ally. It supported us in 2020 when our tally had crashed in the assembly polls. So, it was decided that we reciprocate the gesture by extending our support to a government headed by them".

Notably, besides Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, another senior JD(U) leader Bijendra Prasad Yadav had been sworn in as the deputy CM last week. It appeared to be a flipping of power equations in the previous dispensation when Nitish Kumar was heading the government and BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were his deputies.

In the press meet, Chaudhary was also asked about a social media post by the leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who had alleged that populism and corruption under the NDA rule were bleeding the coffers dry in Bihar where Samrat Choudhary has been saddled with a "debt-ridden government".

The deputy CM replied: "It is normal for all governments to borrow money for development work. There is no reason to cause alarm about debt.

Moreover, our opponents should remember that while they were in power, the state's financial position had grown so precarious that even paying salaries to government employees had become a challenge. Thankfully, that is not the case now".

The allusion was to the RJD, of which Tejashwi Yadav is the national working president, which ruled Bihar until 2005 when Nitish Kumar took over.

Countering the opposition's allegation that the political tour of Nitish Kumar's son Nishant starting May 3 is a "JD(U) bachao" yatra, Choudhary said, "People know it very well what a JD(U) yatra means, and they are enjoying the fruits of those yatras."

"Nishant ji is an active leader, and it is only natural that he is embarking on a Bihar tour. We welcome his decision," Chaudhary said.

Nishant officially joined the JD(U) last month.

Chaudhary distanced the government from the views of certain MLAs of the alliance partners and the party, seeking a review of the liquor prohibition law in the state.

"Comments made in a personal capacity are not necessarily reflective of the party's or the government's position. Political leaders, the party and the government are three separate entities," the deputy CM said.

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The Bihar government in 2016 enforced a complete ban on the manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, sale, and consumption of liquor and intoxicants in the state. However, this led to scores of hooch tragedies resulting in numerous deaths.

The Patna High Court recently criticised the Bihar government over the “failure” of the state machinery in effectively implementing the prohibition law, and warned that citizens’ lives were being put at risk.