Union minister Giriraj Singh often in the headlines for his controversial remarks surprised many on Tuesday when he said that he may consider retiring from politics when the second term of the Narendra Modi government ends in 2023.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second innings is also the last innings of my political career,” Singh said at a press conference in Patna. He was asked if he was among the contenders for the chief minister’s chair for the Bihar Assembly elections next year.
“I think, I am nearing the end of my political career. I am among those who had entered public life not with the ambition of becoming a legislator, an MP, or acquiring any position of power. I was fired by the nationalistic dream of integration of Kashmir for which our ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee gave up his life,” Singh said.
There have been reports of disagreement in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the chief ministerial face with many suggesting a rethink on the incumbent—Nitish Kumar. Both the BJP and Kumar have refuted the rumours.
Last week, Nitish Kumar said some people might think there is “some khachpach (turmoil)’ in the alliance” but there isn’t any. His deputy and senior BJP leader Sushil Modi went for a cricketing analogy to bat for Nitish. “When Captain is hitting 4 & 6 & defeating rivals by inning where is the Q of any change,” he had tweeted.
Giriraj Singh, a two-time member of Parliament from Bihar, he had tweeted his approval after the Centre scrapped Article 370 removing the special status for Jammu and Kashmir. “Jai Kashmir, Jai Bharat…Abki baar us paar”, tweeted Singh. He was apparently referring to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“We are fortunate to have a prime minister like Narendra Modi who, finally, showed the resolve to fulfil the pledge. I feel a sense of accomplishment. Nothing more needs to be achieved,” Singh said on Tuesday.
Singh, who had won from the Nawada seat in 2014 was shifted to Begusarai in 2019. He faced former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader and CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar in the polls. Singh emerged victorious winning by over 1 lakh votes.
A Minister of State with independent charge in the first Modi government, Singh was elevated to the cabinet rank after the Lok Sabha polls this year. He retained the Begusarai seat for his party after trouncing CPI’s Kanhaiya Kumar by a staggering over four lakh votes.
His equation with Nitish Kumar is uneasy. Singh, who never shies away from taking a swipe at the Bihar CM, had recently said that Begusarai, his constituency, was getting “step motherly” treatment from the state government. He also alleged that the CM’s constituency—Nalanda— was treated “generously”.
In the 2019 parliamentary polls, the NDA won 39 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The BJP won 17 seats, JD (U) got 16, LJP emerged victorious in 6 seats.
