Cong urges PM to cooperate with Bihar govt

As the new Bihar government was sworn in, the Congress on Friday made a strong plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cooperate with it in the “spirit of federalism” to make the state “growth engine for India”.

The Congress also dismissed suggestions that the inclusion of two sons of Rashtriya Janata Party (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet showed that the politics of dynasty has set in. “We would humbly request the PM to assist and cooperate with the government of Bihar in the spirit of federalism and respect the ‘Will of the People’,” said party spokesman Meem Afzal, adding “we can together make Bihar growth engine for India”.

Congratulating the new Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Council of Ministers, Afzal said whatever has been promised in the Common Programme in Bihar, “we will do all efforts to deliver it on ground”. “Congress will work in conjunction and use its experience in governance to fully support Nitish Kumar’s endeavors to take Bihar on the path of progress and development,” he said.

Insisting that Bihar’s mandate is a watershed event in today’s polity, he said from now on the political discourse in the country will change its direction. He said the electoral verdict in Bihar is an “absolute referendum on the Modi government and BJP’s so called model of governance.” 

Meanwhile, senior Bihar Congress leader Sadanand Singh, left out of the Grand Alliance ministry headed by Kumar, was on Friday named CLP leader by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was in the city to attend the swearing-in ceremony, announced Singh’s name as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader at a function at state Congress headquarter Sadaquat Ashram.

Sadanand Singh, ninth term MLA from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, was considered a sure shot in the new Bihar cabinet but his name was not there among those who took oath.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said the drubbing suffered by the BJP in Bihar Assembly elections marked the “end” of the “so-called” Gujarat model.  He said, “Two things may look appealing but don’t last long. They are jalebi (a sweet) made from poorly cooked oil and the BJP’s Gujarat model. The shelf life of their model has ended with the conclusion of Bihar elections”.