Wanted 4 Union Cabinet berths in 2019 but BJP didn't agree: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said he had decided against the Janata Dal-United joining the government at the Centre, after the Bharatiya Janata Party's refusal to his demand for four ministerial berths in 2019.

He also asserted that the induction of his former close aide RCP Singh last year did not have his consent.

"I had said in 2019 that we should get at least four berths. We had 16 MPs, they had just one more from Bihar. Agreeing to anything less than that would have sent a bad message in Bihar from where they had inducted five people. They refused so we did not join,” Kumar said.

Asked about BJP leaders' contention that his consent was sought before the induction of Singh, the CM said, "It is untrue.”

”He (RCP) was the national president and I did not approve of the development. A reason why I made him step down from the top party post six months later,” Kumar told reporters.