Nitish dismisses Modi wave as one created by corporate houses

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today dismissed the so-called wave in favour of Narendra Modi, perceived by many BJP workers, as one created by corporate houses and is short-lived sans any magic.

Kumar in his reply to the debate for the motion of confidence in government moved by him in the Bihar Assembly said that the wave was nothing but created by corporate houses.

'BJP workers are getting excited about wave created by one of their leaders (Narendra Modi)...It is nothing but wave created by corporate houses which will be short lived and cannot do any magic in 2014,' Kumar said.

Kumar, whose JD(U) parted company with the BJP last Sunday over elevation of his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi as poll campaigner for his party , also questioned the saffron party's attempt to portray Modi as a OBC leader to garner OBC and extremely backward castes votes.

'Just by being born in an OBC family does not make anybody their leader. A person who is the well-wisher of corporate houses does not become leader of OBC by just taking birth in a backward caste family,' he said without naming the Gujarat leader.

'Chaudhary Charan Singh, Madhu Limye and V P Singh were not born in OBC families, but are considered leaders of backward castes because they had genuine commitment for welfare of the poor and deprived sections of society,' Kumar said.

Sensing that a break-up might be coming, the BJP even before the separation was organising caste meetings, Kumar said.

He said that while addressing a meeting of the BJP Extremely Backward Castes cell, former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had observed that the Gujarat leader having a similar background cannot be stopped from becoming a prime minister.

Bihar today saw a new alignment of parties during the trust vote even as Kumar comfortably won the trust vote amid a walk-out by the BJP and the LJP.

With the strength of the House reduced to 150 after the BJP and LJP's walk-out, the ruling party got 126 votes, including 4 of Congress, 1 of CPI and 4 Independents besides their own 117.

A total of 24 votes were cast against it. This included 22 of RJD and 2 Independents.