Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav on ending alliance with BJP: Highlights

Patna: After ending its 17-year-old alliance with the BJP, Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed the media. Here are the highlights of the press conference:

Nitish Kumar:

• The fundamental principle of alliance has not been kept. So the JD(U) has had to take a political decision
• In Bihar, the government was running smoothly, but the situation was such that highlighting our achievements in Bihar was taken as statements against others
• We can't for the sake of the government, compromise in our principles
• Whenever there has been an interference from outside, we have had problems in Bihar
• Yesterday, I called them to talk things out - even if they did not want to continue with us, I thought it would be better to talk things out with them and have an amicable split
• There were reports in the newspaper that their ministers were not working, that was not OK. We called a Cabinet meeting today and they did not even attend that. To not resign and not work, it is a strange situation
• So we have decided to go ahead with a vote of confidence on June 19
• I have recommended 11 ministers be dropped from the Cabinet
• There have been election campaign committee heads of the BJP earlier too - be it Pramod Mahajan or Arun Jaitley. But no one has ever been anointed like this
  
• This is not a technical point, it is a political point. What is the perception that has been created?
• The mandate we got was for the development of Bihar. It was given to the BJP in Bihar with the JDU - till they were in Bihar, we did not have any trouble
• Now there has been a situation at the national level which has made our continuing in the alliance impossible
• Everyone knew what our basic concerns were - if you want to form the government, you should indulge in politics that attract allies
• To become the PM you need 272 MPs. NDA needed to be expand and steps should have been taken to create a consensus
• We have decided not to compromise with our principles, I don't care what the outcome of this decision is
• Samjhnewale Samajh gaye hain, jo na samjhe woh Anari hain
  
  

Sharad Yadav:

• We were in the NDA  for 17 years and we had a national agenda that was formed with Atalji and Advani ji
• We have tried to stick to the framework of the NDA but for the past 6-7  month situation has changed
• We have had good coordination in Bihar too for the past 7 years
• When Goa conclave happened, we said that people must stick to the agenda of the NDA
• Till the national agenda was decided upon, we did not join the NDA - remember when there was a BJP-led government for 13 days, we were not there
• But now it is a matter of principle and to trust them has become difficult
• Any alliance runs by friendship and trust - we tried our best to run the alliance
• There have been comments like "Ram Mandir is on our agenda" - This worries many people, creates fear. We had cautioned against this
• Who they make their leader is not the problem, it's the discourse recently that has been worrying
  
• I have resigned as NDA Convenor, the JD(U) has come out of the NDA