Nitish sounds national bugle, says can replicate Bihar grand alliance model

Rising high on the recent victory in the Bihar Assembly polls, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed confidence about replicating similar results in the five states headed for assembly polls in 2016.

In what appears to be an attempt to project himself as a viable leader on the national level, JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi called Kumar a 'prime ministerial material' as well as 'the most competent and honest chief minister in the country'.

The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Janata Dal (United) national executive held in the national capital yesterday, which was chaired by party president Sharad Yadav and attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other senior leaders.

The party urged the Congress to make sacrifice in Assam, where it is in power to form an alliance with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

The party also pitched for a nation-wide alliance of like-minded parties to counter the NDA government at the Centre.

Apart from Assam, assembly polls will be held in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry next year.

In its day-long meeting, JD(U) leadership resolved to engage with other parties to explore the possibility of forming an anti-BJP grand alliance.

Tyagi said during the meeting the party had decided to approach the Election Commission (EC) with a request for changing its election symbol of arrow to a wheel.

He said in the previous elections, JD(U) candidates had lost several seats due to confusion among voters over almost similar election symbols of Shiv Sena and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

The national executive passed a political resolution criticising the BJP and RSS and alleged that conspiracies are being hatched against religious and linguistic minorities.