Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was an experienced leader and it would be great if a proposal came to make him the convenor of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.
Yadav, who belongs to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, also exuded confidence that the seemingly thorny issue of seat-sharing will be sorted out 'without any problem'.
"Nitish Kumar is such a senior leader. If such a proposal comes, it will be great for Bihar," Yadav told reporters at the Gaya airport when his comments were sought on the speculations that the Janata Dal-United president could be made the convenor of the opposition coalition.
The young RJD leader, whose party is the largest constituent of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, recalled that the alliance, which was in opposition until August 2022, decided to align with the JD-U with the objective of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"We came together in Bihar after which efforts were made to bring together parties opposed to the BJP across the country, which culminated in the formation of the INDIA bloc. Hence, there is no reason to worry about seat-sharing. It will be sorted out in good time," he asserted.
Yadav is expected to meet the Dalai Lama on Thursday at Bodh Gaya, where the Tibetan spiritual leader has been camping for the last couple of weeks.
Replying to another question, he said findings of the caste survey, conducted by the Nitish Kumar government, were now in the public doman with the report having been tabled before the assembly in its last session.
Meanwhile, in Patna, state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh told a press conference that his party acknowledged Nitish Kumar's stature and would not flinch from backing him if other constituents of INDIA agreed to make him the convenor.
"Nobody has any doubts about the calibre, stature, personality and political acumen of Nitish Kumar. Also, there cannot be any two views about the crucial role he played in bringing together anti-BJP parties across the country," said Singh, a Rajya Sabha member.
"The decision of making him a convenor would require a consensus. If other constituents of the INDIA bloc give their consent, rest assured that the Congress will not hesitate in throwing its weight behind such a proposal," he added.
Asked about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's name having been proposed for PM candidate by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress at the last INDIA meet a fortnight ago, Singh pointed out, "He has himself made it very clear that this was not the time to think of who will assume power. Our priority is to ensure that the BJP is defeated."
Asked about reports in a section of the press that the Congress, which is a junior partner in Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan, has demanded nine out of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats, he said that decisions on the seat-sharing are taken by the top leadership of the party.
"Announcements will be made from the appropriate level once a decision is arrived at," he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP, which has been sore over having lost power in Bihar as a result of Nitish Kumar's exit from the National Democratic Alliance, claimed RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav was 'conspiring' to make Tejashwi, his son and heir apparent, the chief minister of the state.
"With the Congress, he is trying to make Nitish Kumar vacate his chair to become convenor of INDIA," BJP's OBC Morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand alleged in a statement.
