Political career may end with Modi govt 2.0: Giriraj

Muzaffarpur (Bihar): BJP's rabble-rouser Union minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday hinted he may hang up his boots at the end of the current Modi government's tenure, and virtually ruled himself out of contention for chief ministership after the assembly polls next year.

He was responding to questions at a press conference where he was asked to comment on the growing demand in a section of the BJP about reconsidering JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar as the NDA's chief ministerial face during the next assembly elections. "I think I am nearing the end of my political career. I am among those who had entered public life not with the ambition of becoming a legislator, an MP, or acquiring any position of power. I was fired by the nationalistic dream of integration of Kashmir for which our ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee gave up his life," Singh said, evading a direct reply to the query. Singh indicated since PM Narendra Modi had fulfilled that dream, he may retire from politics.

"We are fortunate to have a prime minister like Narendra Modi who, finally, showed the resolve to fulfil the pledge. I feel a sense of accomplishment. Nothing more needs to be achieved. I think my political career will come to an end with the ongoing tenure of Modi," Singh, a staunch Modi loyalist since his days as the Gujarat chief minister, said.

A Minister of State with independent charge in the first Modi government, Singh was elevated to the cabinet rank after the Lok Sabha polls this year. He retained the Begusarai seat for his party after trouncing CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar by a staggering over four lakh votes.

Known to share cold vibes with CM Nitish Kumar since his days as a member of the state cabinet, Singh earlier alleged his constituency was getting "step motherly" treatment by the state government.