No need for RCP Singh to quit Cabinet: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, whom his Janata Dal-United has denied another term in the Rajya Sabha, does not need to resign as Union minister ahead of the expiry of his Rajya Sabha tenure.

Kumar, who is the JD-U's de facto leader, was talking to reporters at the Vidhan Sabha in presence of a large number of National Democratic Alliance leaders who gathered to witness filing of nomination papers by candidates of the ruling coalition in Bihar.

The JD-U has fielded its Jharkhand unit chief Khiru Mahato while the Bharatiya Janata Party has considered Satish Chandra Dubey for a second consecutive term besides giving a ticket to its Bihar unit secretary Shambhu Sharan Patel.

The chief minister asserted that Mahato's candidature has caused no bitterness with R C P Singh, who "has always been given many important responsibilities, including two consecutive Parliament terms. He has been getting recognition since the days he was an IAS officer."

The Union steel minister, who had last year succeeded Nitish Kumar as the party's national president, was conspicuous by his absence on the Vidhan Sabha premises.

Nitish Kumar was asked about R C P Singh's statement earlier in the day that he will seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advice as to whether he should resign as Union minister since he will not be able to continue for more than six months once he ceased to be a member of Parliament.

"His tenure in Parliament is far from over. The elections are being held before time. There is no need to think of resignation right now," the chief minister remarked cryptically.

Singh's Rajya Sabha tenure will end in July.

Nitish Kumar dodged queries about Singh's prospects as also that of the JD-U which may be left with no representation in the Union Cabinet.

"These things will be thought about at a later stage," the chief minister remarked.