Chief Minister Nitish Kumar iterated on Friday that Opposition unity and not prime ministerial ambitions were on his mind now, his remarks to the media in Delhi coming days after he created a political storm by walking out of the JD(U)’s alliance with the BJP in Bihar.

Asked whether he was eyeing to be the Opposition’s prime ministerial nominee, he said with folded hands, “It’s not on my mind. No matter what people say, even if people close to me say it…”

He said it would be great if all Opposition parties worked together and his job was to try to ensure that. “All of us will talk about issues of the people and how we can have a better societal environment,” he added.

The question about Nitish Kumar’s prime ministerial ambitions isn’t new. After taking oath as Bihar chief minister for the eighth time on  Wednesday,  Nitish seemed to take a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over prospects in the next Lok Sabha elections. “He won in 2014, but will he in 2024?” he said.

He told reporters on Wednesday too that he was “not a contender for anything” when asked if he wanted to be the Opposition’s PM candidate. “The question to ask is if the person who came in 2014 will win in 2024,” he said.

The Telegraph