Nitish Kumar meets PM Modi, says will never leave NDA in future

Following his meeting with PM Modi, Kumar met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda.

According to reports, Kumar has discussed a host of governance and political issues related to Bihar.

Speaking to reporters briefly, Kumar said that he would not leave NDA even though he had left the association twice in the past.

"Never now. We will remain here (in the NDA)," he said.

The meetings came five days ahead of the trust vote that Nitish Kumar will face in the Bihar Assembly on Feb 12.

Kumar had taken an oath with eight ministers, three each from the BJP and the JD(U), and an expansion of the council of ministers was on the cards.

He had hoped to be chosen as the leader of the opposition alliance. However, the allies opted for Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for the role after Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal proposed his name.

The JD(U) leader was also unhappy with the Congress for assuming a "big brother" role in the alliance and causing delays in the discussions about seat-sharing.

In the Bihar Assembly of 243, the RJD has 79 MLAs; followed by the BJP's 78; the JD(U)'s 45' the Congress's 19, the CPI (M-L)'s 12, two each of the CPI(M) and CPI, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)'s four seats, and the AIMIM's one, plus one Independent legislator.