Patna: Nitish Kumar today accidentally suggested that he wishes Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes a Chief Minister again. The Bihar Chief Minister made the remarks during an election rally in Patna where he was pitching for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which is hoping to win 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
"Humaari ichha hai ki hum deshbhar me 400 se bhi zyaada seat jeeta, aur adarniya Narendra Modi ji fir mukhya mantri bane. Desh ka vikas ho, Bihar ka vikas ho, sab kuch ho (We wish to win over 400 seats across India and respected Narendra Modi should become chief minister again. Then India will develop, Bihar will develop, everything will happen)," Mr Kumar said.
However, the 73-year-old's slip of tongue was caught by the other leaders on the stage. Correcting himself, Mr Kumar said that he meant Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister again and keeps moving ahead.
"Narendra Modi Pradhan Mantri toh hai hi. Hum toh keh rahe hai ki woh aage badhe. Hum yahi chahte hai (Narendra Modi is already the Prime Minister. I am saying that he will now move ahead. That is what I want)," Nitish Kumar said.
The gaffe comes just days after Mr Kumar asked for votes for the late Ram Vilas Paswan, the veteran leader from Bihar who died in 2020.
Voting for the 543 Lok Sabha seats is being held across seven phases. Results will be announced on June 4.
The BJP has taken the reins in the state, spearheading the NDA's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party is set to contest 17 out of the state's 40 seats, marking a departure from its traditional supporting role to Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JD-U).
The alliance between the BJP and the JDU has historically been strong, with the two parties contesting an equal number of seats in the 2019 elections. However, with the resolution of the impasse with Chirag Paswan's faction of the Lok Janshakti Party, the BJP has secured a leading role in Bihar's electoral landscape this time around.
The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), the opposition coalition in Bihar, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, has announced that the RJD, its largest constituent, will contest 26 seats.