Not consulted on Bihar Governor's appointment: Nitish

Centre named BJP leader Ram Nath Kovind as new governor of the poll-bound state

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today publicly expressed his displeasure over senior BJP leader Ram Nath Kovind's appointment as Bihar Governor claiming that he was not consulted in the matter by the Centre as per established tradition.

He said that he came to know about Kovind's appointment as governor through media while he was in the national capital to attend a function yesterday.

"I was not aware about the appointment of Bihar governor when mediapersons asked me about it yesterday...When I reached Bihar Bhawan I saw the news flashing on news channels," Kumar told reporters at Patna airport here upon arrival from New Delhi.

Regretting that the Centre has not followed established procedure of consultation with the state government on the Governor's appointment, the Chief Minister said that it has been an established practice that the Union Home Minister consults the Chief Minister of a state and informs him about the Governor's appointment.

"In this case, the Union Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) should have consulted me on the Governor's appointment, but he did not do so," Kumar said.

Without taking the BJP's name, he rapped the saffron party for telling one and all about 'caste identity' of the Governor Designate which points to its intention to reap political advantage of Kovind's background.

Kumar said that he, on the other hand, has not said anything about the Governor Designate, but merely highlighted that the established practice of consultation with the state government has not been adhered to by the Centre.

Apparently suspecting that Kovind, a prominent BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, has been appointed as Bihar Governor given his caste background to reap electoral benefit in the forthcoming Assembly polls in Bihar, the Chief Minister said that it appeared to him that the decision was pre-meditated.

He said, "if those harping on the caste identity of the governor designate have their way, they may ask him to make speech during elections.