Nitish wants to become prime minister: Lalu

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad today claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wants to become NDA’s prime ministerial candidate. “Kumar is eying to emerge as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate for the next parliamentary polls by seeking to rally behind him the people of Bihar to get special category status for the state,” he told reporters.[caption id=“attachment_451638” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Lalu Prasad. Reuters[/caption] If the chief minister was serious to get special category status for Bihar, then he should resign from his post and launch a jail bharo andolan along with his ministers, Prasad said. He charged Kumar of being anti-Bihar saying that the state government refused to provide water for the Centre’s proposal to set up a nuclear power plant at Rajauli in Nawada district, whereas he handed over Odhani and Chanan reservoir to a private company for a thermal plant. On the special status issue, he said it was the Nitish who had opposed the then RJD-led state government’s demand for grant of special status to Bihar to tide over loss of revenue and natural resources arising out of bifurcation of the state, Prasad said. Maintaining that it will be better for Bihar to plead for special package that to seek special category status, Prasad said investors will come to the state with a mindset to evade payment of taxes and get tax deferment. PTI