Didn’t talk about retirement: Nitish Kumar on ‘last election’ remark

TIL Desk/National/Patna/ Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has said his recent “last election” remarks were misinterpreted and this year’s election was not his last. “I did not talk about retirement. In the last meeting, I always say the same thing at the last rally in every election that ‘ant bhala to sab bhala’ (all is well that ends well).

 If you listen to speech back and forth, everything will be clear,” the chief minister said while interacting with media persons in Patna for the first time after results for the assembly polls were declared. Nitish, while campaigning for a Janata Dal United candidate in Bihar’s Purnia earlier this month, said, “Yeh mera antim chunav hai. Ant bhala, toh sab bhala. (This is my last election. All is well that ends well)”.

On being asked who will be the next chief minister, Kumar replied, “I have made no claim and the decision for the same will be taken by the NDA. The decision on date of swearing-in after an informal meeting with NDA partners tomorrow.” On Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, which has been blamed for JD-U’s low tally, Nitish said, “If some action is to be taken (against LJP), the BJP has to take it. It’s for the BJP to decide whether or not the LJP should be retained in the NDA.”