Why should I go other states to work on others' agenda? Nitish asks

PATNA: JD(U) president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that he would keep himself away from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

He said he would continue to focus on development works of Bihar and resume the last leg of his three month-long 'Nischay Yatra' from February 4.

"I am not going anywhere for campaigning in assembly polls- either UP or Punjab. I shall remain in Bihar and resume my 'Nischay Yatra' from February 4. I am working on my own agenda of development. Why should I go other places to work on others' agenda?" CM said on Wednesday evening when asked whether he would go to campaign in UP or any other states. Nitish was talking to reporters at his official residence here.

On being specifically asked with which party his sympathy would go in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Nitish said with a wide smile, "Main 'aap' ke saath hun (I am with you)".

Asked to clarify what he meant with word 'Aap', do it stand for the Aam Aadmi Party?, Nitish avoided reply and kept smiling.

He said he has already covered 36 districts, out of total 38, under the 'Nischay Yatra' and only two districts -Vaishali and Patna- are left. "I am going to Vaishli district on February 4 and will cover rural areas of Patna district on February 5. I am busy with my own works of inspecting development works undertaken under the 'Saat Nischay' (seven resolves) programme. Why should I go other states to works on others' agenda?" he repeated.

Bihar CM began his 'Nischay Yatra' from West Champaran district on November 9 last year with an aim to conduct on-the-spot inspection of the ongoing construction works under the seven resolves programme.

Prior to the announcement of election schedules for five states, Nitish had made several trips to UP and his party JD(U) had already expressed its intention to contest elections in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with like-minded secular parties preferably RLD, SP and Congress and other smaller parties. As the SP-Congress alliance refused to include other parties in their combine, Nitish has now decided to keep himself completely away from the campaigning.

After successful holding of 'Prakshotsava' in Patna, some senior JD(U) functionaries had hinted that JD(U) would play a vital role even in Punjab polls by forming an alliance with some ethnic parties of Punjab.

But after its core committee meeting in Patna on January 23 last, the JD(U) officially made it clear that it would not contest polls either in UP or Punjab. However, Nitish Kumar's ally in Bihar Government asnd RJD chief Lalu Prasad has time and again been claiming that he and Bihar CM would work for the victory of Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in UP.