Patna:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for calling him a "secular leader" and said the praise has given him "peace of mind."
Mr Kumar quit a 17-year alliance with the BJP on Sunday alleging that it is promoting a divisive leader, Narendra Modi. Earlier this month, the BJP picked Mr Modi to head its campaign for the national election.
Mr Kumar's party, the Janata Dal United or JD(U) says "this is a mere ceremonial prelude to his nomination as the Prime Ministerial candidate." The JD(U) said "these developments do not auger well for the health of our secular and democratic polity."
Mr Kumar will take a trust vote on Wednesday. He has 118 votes, four short of a majority. The Congress has six. So far, on record, neither side has spoken of a possible collaboration for the vote.
When asked if his party will seek a partnership with the Chief Minister, the PM said yesterday, "In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies; we decide as the situation evolves."
Mr Kumar is heavily dependent on the support of Muslim voters in Bihar so he has worked to distance himself from Mr Modi. The JD(U) has said the Gujarat chief minister failed to "discharge his duties" during the riots of 2002 in which hundreds of Muslims were killed in his state.