‘No certificate needed’: JD(U)’s pointed reply to Sonia Gandhi on Nitish

The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) has launched a pointed reply to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's criticism of former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for leaving the opposition alliance. Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh stated that Nitish Kumar does not require a certificate from Sonia Gandhi, as his actions over the past two decades speak for themselves.

The JD(U) leader emphasized that Nitish Kumar has been serving the people of Bihar and has transformed its image, garnering attention not only within the country but globally.

Singh highlighted that Nitish Kumar had previously suggested a caste-based census proposal within the INDI Alliance, which was later rejected by Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi. JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha noted that Digvijay Singh's remarks during a Congress Working Committee meeting indicated that the Congress recognized Nitish Kumar's importance, albeit somewhat belatedly.

Jha stated that the Congress now acknowledges Nitish Kumar's significance to the nation and Bihar, as his work is well-known and his efforts have been evident to the public.

Nitish Kumar himself had quit the INDI bloc on January 28, 2024, and rejoined the BJP-led NDA, expressing his dissatisfaction with the treatment he received within the opposition alliance, particularly from Congress. His decision came after Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal proposed Mallikarjun Kharge as the chairman of the INDIA bloc and as a potential prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Nitish Kumar claimed to have worked tirelessly to build a successful and meaningful INDI bloc but felt that no one else was contributing, leading to his disillusionment and eventual return to the NDA.