M I Khan reports from Patna.
Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will become the next prime minister of the country and that his party will support him.
"Haan, Nitish Kumar agle pradhan mantri honge, aur RJD hamesha unke sath hain (Nitish Kumar will be the next prime minister and the RJD is always with him)," Lalu told newspersons when asked whether Nitish is in the race for the PM's post.
Lalu said after Nitish Kumar was elected national president of the Janata Dal-United, opponents, particularly the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party are in panic mode and restless over the fact that he may pose a big challenge to them in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
"Nitish Kumar is lauded and praised by all. His stature is high and he is set to dominate national politics. All this has created fear among the RSS and BJP leaders," Lalu said.
Long-time rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav had joined hands last year ahead of the 2015 Bihar assembly polls and defeated the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
The former Bihar chief minister also supported Kumar's view that the RSS ideology was not good for the country and the need of the hour was a "Sangh-mukt" (Sangh-free) India.
"Nitish Kumar has spoken right about the RSS. We support him, and all political parties have to unite to counter the BJP," Lalu told mediapersons in Patna.
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