Nitish Kumar informed activist Hardik Patel that he will not be able to join him at a rally in Gujarat.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has informed activist Hardik Patel that he will not be able to join him after all at a rally in Gujarat later this month as earlier planned. Mr Kumar has cited key elections in several states, including neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, announced last week, as the reason for his unavailability, his party said.
Hardik Patel, 23, led a massive agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges by Patidars or Patels in Gujarat and has declared war on the BJP government in the state, which filed several cases of sedition against him. He spent months in jail and was released by a court last year on the condition that he would not enter Gujarat for six months. That ban ends in a week, on January 17.
Last month, Hardik Patel, who has operated out of Rajasthan since he was barred from his state, visited Nitish Kumar in Patna, who met him warmly and promised to attend his rally on January 28.
At the two-hour meeting a slogan was crafted - "
Modi harao desh bachao (Defeat Modi, Save the country), targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose home state is Gujarat.
Leaders from Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United stoutly deny that his decision to back out of Mr Patel's rally has anything to do with the recent praise he has exchanged with PM Modi, who said last week that Mr Kumar's prohibition policy in Bihar was "inspirational".
On his part, Nitish Kumar has stood alone among opposition leaders in his support to the Prime Minister's ban on 500 and 1000-rupee notes, aimed at eliminating corruption and black or undeclared money.
"We assured Hardik that Nitishji is right now preoccupied with elections and the rally can be held any time after March 11," senior Janata Dal United leader KC Tyagi said. Votes will be counted on March 11 for elections in UP, Punjab and three other states. Mr Tyagi pointed out that his party is contesting some seats in states like Punjab and UP and Mr Kumar will need to travel there to campaign.
Assembly elections will be held in Gujarat later this year and Hardik Patel has vowed to ensure the defeat of the BJP, which has ruled the state for over 20 years - for 13 of which PM Modi was Chief Minister.
Nitish Kumar was the first national leader to support the Hardik Patel-led agitation for reservation for Patels, a wealthy and influential community in Gujarat. Some leaders from his ally the Congress see in his decision to back out of the Gujarat rally, an unwillingness now to upset other communities in the state.