Patna: The BJP’s firebrand leader Giriraj Singh, a Union minister, has created a flutter in political circles by hinting at his retirement from active politics.
Talking to reporters in Muzaffarpur, on Tuesday Mr Singh said, “My political tenure is about to end. I didn’t join politics to become MLA or MP. My only motive was to remove Article 370 and 35(A) from Jammu and Kashmir, which has been done at the beginning of Narendra Modi’s second term as Prime Minister. I have also been concerned about the growing population in our country but since our Prime Minister has already made an announcement regarding the issue, I think my motive has now been fulfilled.”
His statement is being seen as a setback for a section in the BJP who have been urging the party leadership to take over the reins of the NDA in Bihar from the JD(U). Some of Mr Singh’s supporters have also been demanding that he be declared the chief ministerial candidate. Former BJP state president Nityanand Rai and the party’s dalit leader Sanjay Paswan are among those who have been meeting him in New Delhi to discuss strategies for the 2020 Assembly polls.
A day earlier he had blamed the state administration for ignoring his Lok Sabha constituency, which has been affected by floods.
“We are fortunate to have Mr Modi as our Prime Minister. He has been working hard to fulfil the dreams of people of this country. I think my political career will come to an end with the ongoing tenure of Mr Modi,” Mr Singh said.
After winning the Lok Sabha polls from Nawada in 2014 he served as a minister of state with independent charge in the first Modi Cabinet. This year he was elevated to the Cabinet rank after he contested and defeated CPI’s youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai.
Known for his differences with chief minister Nitish Kumar, Mr Singh had recently said that his Lok Sabha constituency was getting “step brotherly” treatment from the state government.
Political analysts, however, point at the timing of his statement which comes a day after two RSS functionaries held a secret meeting with the chief minister at his residence in Patna. Though JD(U) or BJP leaders are not aware of the agenda behind an hour-long closed-door meeting, sources said that political issues were discussed.
