INDIA bloc members always wanted a Congress-minus front: JDU counters Sonia Gandhi

JDU working president Sanjay Jha on Wednesday hit back at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's remarks on Nitish Kumar's exit from the INDIA bloc, claiming that several opposition leaders who are part of the grouping today had initially wanted to form an alliance without the Congress.

Speaking exclusively to India Today, Jha said these leaders had approached Nitish Kumar in the early days of the INDIA bloc and requested him to convene meetings without Congress leaders.

"These INDIA bloc members who have come today always wanted to form a front minus Congress," Jha said, adding that he was a witness to the meetings led by Nitish Kumar when the opposition grouping was still at a nascent stage.

Jha also claimed that Nitish Kumar had never sought the position of convenor of the INDIA bloc. According to him, Kumar eventually decided to part ways with the alliance after becoming frustrated with what he described as the Congress's "immaturity".

"Nitish Kumar never wanted to become convenor of the INDIA bloc. But when he saw the immaturity of Congress, then he decided to part ways," Jha said.

Taking a further swipe at the Congress, Jha alleged that the party prioritised itself over broader political issues.

"Congress prefers party, then party and then any other issue," he said, adding that Nitish Kumar realised that "for Congress nothing is more important than family" and subsequently left the alliance.

Jha's remarks came hours after India Today reported a disagreement between Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh during Monday's Congress Working Committee meeting over Nitish Kumar's 2024 exit from the INDIA bloc.

According to Congress sources, Digvijaya Singh told the CWC that the party should not have allowed Nitish Kumar to leave the INDIA bloc, arguing that the political situation could have been different had he stayed.

Sonia Gandhi, however, took a different view, saying, "Thank God Nitish Kumar left on time. He was always meant to go there."

Gandhi also said Kumar had been "constantly looking for new ways to exit the INDIA bloc" and alleged that he was being controlled by the BJP, the sources said.

The exchange took place as the CWC discussed the Congress's political strategy and its campaign against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The INDIA bloc is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, with opposition parties expected to discuss a joint strategy on the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.

Nitish Kumar quit the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar in January 2024 and formed a government with the BJP, taking oath as Chief Minister for a record ninth time.

The exchange between Sonia Gandhi and Digvijaya Singh came ahead of Wednesday's INDIA bloc meeting, where opposition parties are expected to discuss a joint strategy on the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Congress Working Committee adopted a resolution seeking an immediate halt to the SIR, restoration of 13.3 crore names it claimed had been removed from electoral rolls, and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Congress also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, alleging that the Election Commission had been compromised. The party said it would continue its campaign in Parliament, courts and on the streets until the poll panel was restored as an independent constitutional authority.

The CWC meeting was attended by senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.