Nitish Kumar criticizes INDIA bloc for alleged lack of national focus

Days after Lok Sabha poll outcome, Janata Dal-United (JDU) Chief Nitish Kumar on Friday lashed out at the INDIA opposition bloc claiming that the latter never worked for the country.

Addressing the parliamentary meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Parliament here in the national capital, Kumar said that the country will progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

"Agli baar jab aap aaiye toh kuch log jo idhar udhar jeet gaya hai, agli baar sab haarega. Humko poora bharosa hai (Those who have won this time will lose the next elections. I'm confident about it). They never worked for the nation. They never served the country. The country will progress under your (PM Modi) leadership" said Kumar.

Prime Minister Modi and the other leaders at the meeting could not stop laughing at the jibe of Kumar, key founder-member of INDIA bloc in 2023. who had swtiched sides to BJP.

The JDU chief further in his remarks at the NDA meeeting affirmed his support towards PM Narendra Modi stating, "All the pending works of Bihar will be done. It is a very good thing that all of us have come together and we will all work together with you (PM Modi). You will be swearing in as the Prime Minister on Sunday, but I wanted you to do it today itself. Whenever you take the oath, we will be with you...We will all work together under your leadership..."

Kumar has also backed the proposal of naming Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.

The newly elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) attended the meeting of the alliance, being held days after the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced.

As per the results announced by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday, the BJP won 240 seats and along with its allies, it stands at 293 seats. Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JDU, having won 16 and 12 seats respectively in their respective states, have extended support to the NDA.

On Wednesday, leaders of parties in the NDA held a meeting and elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their leader. PM Modi later said that NDA will work towards building a developed India.

The INDIA bloc has 234 MPs in the new parliament with the Congress having won 99 seats.