Nitish greets Modi, says he has great expectations

Nitish Kumar, former Bihar chief minister, on Monday extended his greetings to the government led by his bete-noire Narendra Modi and said he has ‘great expectations’ from it, including granting of special category status to his state.

“I have greeted the new government under Narendra Modi. I once again congratulate the new government that will take charge in the evening,” said Kumar, who would not be present at the oath taking ceremony.

The two leaders had not missed any opportunity to attack each other since last year and Modi’s elevation in the Bharatiya Janata Party had prompted Kumar to pull the Janata Dal-United out of the National Democratic Alliance in June last year after being part of the alliance for 17 years.

Kumar’s successor Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is going to Delhi to participate in the oath taking ceremony.

Kumar said he has ‘great expectations’ from the new government and that Bihar should get special category status and special package.

Pending central projects in Bihar should be completed and the new government should reimburse the Rs 1000 crore the state had spent from its limited resources on upkeep of national highways, he added.

Manjhi was with Nitish when he was interacting with mediapersons. Manjhi told reporters before flying to Delhi that he would try to end any ‘bitterness’ between the BJP government at the Centre and its former ally JD(U).