Patna (Bihar) [India], October 14 : Amid growing speculation over rifts within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after seat-sharing discussions, Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh on Tuesday, once again reaffirmed that the NDA remains united under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, dismissing speculation of any internal discord.
Singh described the Mahagathbandhan as a "gang of cheats," accusing its leaders of misleading the public and spreading rumours about CM Nitish Kumar being angry.
Talking to ANI, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan highlighted the unity of the NDA alliance and said, "The list (of candidates) will be released on time, and everything will be done on time. Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the NDA is united, and we are contesting the elections with unity."
He called the Mahagathbandhan a "gang of cheats" and added, "They are creating jobs by registering land and dreaming of transforming Bihar. The people of Bihar understand everything. They are a gang of cheats, all engaged in cheating."
He further added, "If the leaders of the Mahagathbandhan want to contest the elections, they should do so with the support of the people. That is why we say that this is not an alliance but a gang of cheats. No one in our party moves forward without Nitish Kumar's consent."
"From seat sharing to the allocation of individual seats, everything is done with Nitish Kumar's knowledge and consent. These (Mahagathbandhan) people are not getting the support of the people in the elections, so they are indulging in malicious propaganda. Why would Nitish Kumar be angry? The NDA is united under Nitish Kumar's leadership and will contest the elections under his leadership. Nitish Kumar is the universally accepted leader of the NDA, and we are contesting the elections under his leadership," the Union Minister added.
Earlier in the day, BJP announced its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, as per an official party statement.
The polling for the 243-seat Assembly is scheduled to be held on November 6 and November 11, with counting set for November 14.