"Planted News": Mukesh Sahani On Reports Of Rift With Grand Alliance

Mukesh Sahani, the chief of Vikassheel Insaan Party, today denied reports that he is  unhappy with opposition Grand Alliance and is about to switch sides and join the NDA. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he said there is no cause, since the Grand Alliance is winning the ongoing assembly election in BIhar and he is its Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate. "When we are making a government, then why will we be friends with the BJP? This news has been planted," he said.

"Elections are being contested on my face and Tejashwi Yadav's face.  We are working hard day and night to make Mahagatbandhan government in Bihar.  We have put our entire career at stake," he told NDTV.

Asked about a meeting he missed recently, he blamed the BJP, saying it delays everything for the Opposition including flights.

There have been reports that Sahani skipped the meeting in Bhojpur district's Jitoura because he was upset with the Mahagathbandhan and his departure from the alliance will take place before the counting of votes on November 14. The reports came as Bihar is set for the second phase of election on November 11.

"We get permission late for any meeting. And the BJP gets permission for 30 helicopters early in the morning.  We are stopped at the airport for two to three hours... the Opposition parties get late permission for everything including flights," he said. 

"Because of this our schedule is very late.  Because of this our meetings are getting cancelled. This is done on purpose by the BJP," he said. "Even yesterday we had to cancel our meetings at four places. This is being done by the BJP," he added.

The BJP, Sahani said, has destroyed any question of Nishad support for itself and is not even winning 25 seats in the first round. "And they know that there is a second round in Bihar. The people of Bihar, youth, all castes, all religions have now rejected the BJP," he said.

"I am a friend of Mahagathbandhan and it is a question of my career. In such a situation, you are running wrong news about me," he added.