BJP dubs Nitish's return as Bihar CM 'betrayal' of public mandate

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday alleged that senior Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar's reinstatement as the Bihar Chief Minister is a betrayal of the mandate given by the people of the state.

"Nitish Kumar will take oath as CM for the fourth time today. He may be viewing it as victory, but the people of Bihar view it as a betrayal of mandate by Nitish Kumar. Because the mandate never wanted Mr. Kumar to be in relation with Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been blamed for the debacle of Bihar by Nitish Kumar himself," said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

"This mandate that Nitish Kumar got was because of the coalition that existed between the BJP and the JD (U) then. So, both ways it is a betrayal," he added.

Nitish will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at the Raj Bhawan in Patna at 5 p.m. today.

A host of political leaders including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav are scheduled to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Nitish, who was invited to form a new government by the Governor after Jitan Ram Manjhi's resignation ahead of the trust vote on Friday, has been given three weeks to prove majority in the Bihar Assembly.