The uncertainty looms over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s participation in the 26th Eastern Zonal Council meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Patna on December 10.
JD(U) Chief Spokesman Neeraj Kumar expressed uncertainty about Nitish Kumar’s attendance. The CM had previously missed the last EZC meeting in Kolkata on health grounds, represented by Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
Nitish Kumar has reportedly been unwell recently, diagnosed with seasonal flu, according to the JD(U) spokesman. Dismissing calls for Kumar’s health bulletin by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi and Union Minister Giriraj Singh, the spokesman labeled it an “idiotic demand” and pointed out the non-practice of issuing health bulletins for seasonal ailments.
While emphasizing Nitish Kumar’s crucial role in uniting opposition parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the spokesman stated that Kumar would decide who represents the state in upcoming meetings, including the EZC meeting and the one by the Congress on December 6 in New Delhi.
Notably, Nitish Kumar has not attended meetings chaired by PM Modi or Amit Shah since quitting the NDA in August last year. The BJP had previously expressed concerns about Kumar’s discomfort with the INDIA bloc and criticized the Congress for its treatment of Kumar in Madhya Pradesh.
