BJP left 'Iron Man' Advani to rust, charges Nitish

Says BJP will not gain anything from the decision of naming Narendra Modi as PM candidate

Mocking the elevation of his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar empathised with Lal Krishna Advani saying the "iron man" has been left to rust.

He also claimed that the saffron party would not gain from the decision. "BJP will not gain from this decision (naming Narendra Modi as PM candidate). Inflation and corruption were much bigger issues, but the BJP choose to neglect them to push its own agenda.

They will not gain anything. This will be proved by results of the 2014 elections," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of his weekly "Janata Durbar" programme.

"There is a joy within the house (BJP) but not so among common people over the decision," Kumar, a known detractor of Modi and who was instrumental in Janata Dal (United) or JD (U)'s break up with BJP over Gujarat Chief Minister elevation, said. In an indirect dig at his Gujarat counterpart, the Bihar Chief Minister empathised with "sulking" L K Advani. " While their own iron man has been left to rust they are collecting iron from across the country to build a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," he said.

On JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav's statement ruling out any alliance with Congress and that the party would contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar alone while he himself has said that any talk on poll tie-up would be done after October, Kumar said, "There is no contradiction in Yadav's statement."

"He (Yadav) has said as on date there is no talks with any party on alliance which is true," Kumar said. "JD (U) is busy in holding party rallies in 238 Assembly constituencies in the state and subsequently would organise similar rallies in 40 Lok Sabha seats till October after which we will discuss about alliance or to go alone in the elections," he said.