If party asks me to contest election, I am ready even at midnight, says Samrat Choudhary

The Bihar election is around the corner; how is the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) preparation going?

Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, Bihar NDA is standing strong and we all five partners of NDA are working hard to break the record of 2010 (read out of 243, NDA won 206 seats) assembly election.

There is a perception that you act as Super CM in Bihar, even though you are the Deputy CM.

No, the party has given me responsibility and I am a leader of the BJP’s Legislature party. Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister and he is the person who is delivering. People know very well that in the last 20 years Nitish Kumar has given road, electricity, school, dress for the girls’ students and many more things. Nitish Kumar is continuously working for the development of Bihar.

Will Nitish Kumar become the Chief Minister If NDA forms the government?

Obviously, Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister now and will remain CM tomorrow as well.

Apart from holding the Deputy CM portfolio, you are also the Finance Minister of the State. Don’t you think that numerous announcements made by CM will become a burden on State treasury?

Nitish Kumar has continuously taken the steps to bring positive changes in finance. The government before 2005 used to spend only 25% of the total budget and today our government is spending 99%. It proves that we are utilising the money and model of development has also changed. Under the Nitish Kumar government, expenditure and development are visible and people get the benefit.

The Opposition always alleges that corruption and crime has increased manifold in the NDAs’ government.

They don’t have any agenda. The allegation of corruption is on Lalu Prasad ji, his wife, his son, his daughter. They just want to malign NDA’s name, they should better give us proof. They have been exposed in front of the people along with the proof. They should go to the people because they only decide who is corrupt and who is not. Everyone knows that Nitish Kumar is the symbol of good governance and criminals in Bihar are caught and put behind bars within hundred hours of committing any crime. If you don’t have any enemy, you can travel to your home even at 12 midnight and no one will touch you but if you have any enemy then inform the police and travel.

In the last Assembly election, you contested on the ticket of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in 2010.

Yes, in that election the entire Lalu family lost the election, every member of the Lalu family faced defeat. My family member contested the election 12 times but Lalu ji could not transfer the vote. We never became MLA because of Lalu ji’s vote, they should first clear this misunderstanding. Now his son has entered into politics the fact is Lalu ji never transferred the vote. Many times, we used to request him to visit the place but he never did. Then what is the point of RJD’s symbol if he cannot give the vote. Like Modi ji is our leader and people caste vote in his name not in the name of the candidate. The similar thing is there with Nitish Kumar ji. The graph of Lalu ji kept on falling because he lost his hold on the ground. When Lalu ji was completely wiped out that time also, I won the election. I was with him at bad times and saved him to remain on the chair. I have done favour to him; he did nothing for me.

Would you like to contest the election once again if the party wishes so?

No doubt, if the party will ask me to contest the election, I am ready even at 12 midnight, however, it is totally up to the party to decide.

Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd (vote thief leave the throne) was the slogan raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the entire Bihar during Voter Adhikar Yatra. 

I think they have made a mistake in raising the issue. Both Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav did it together. Rahul Gandhi is the symbol of the murderer of the democracy like imposing emergency, humiliating judges in Supreme Court, appointing Chief Justice in Supreme Court by superseding. These are the works of the Rahul Gandhi family. The person who went to jail in an emergency was Lalu Prasad and he named her daughter after the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) because he himself was also detained under this act and Misa was born. So people thought that both Rahul and Tejashwi have come to crack jokes. Nitish ji and Modi ji built the roads and gave electricity but these two kids, one is riding motorcycle and other is riding jeep. People do not take them seriously.

You recently said this election is between Lalu ji and Nitish ji then where is BJP?

I had said this election is Modiwaad (Modism) and Nitshwaad (Nitishism). Nitish ji has patronage of Modi ji and we are following the leadership of Nitish ji. Modi ji is leading the country, and Nitish ji is leading the State. I always say that RJD follows the theory of Lalu ji and whatever he says is followed in the party. If tomorrow Lalu ji says that someone else will be his successor then he/she will become his successor. Just see how Tej Pratap Yadav has been thrown out from the party and there is no impact because his supporters are with Lalu ji. So, people are with Modi ji -Nitish ji and Lalu ji. Congress is there but the party does not have any existence. In Bihar the vote is for Modi-Nitish and Lalu.

How does it feel that Nitish Kumar is the same person who once called Modi ji for food, then snatched away the plate and now he is with you.

Politics changes according to the time. When Lalu Prasad had contested Lok Sabha election for the first time in 1977, Jan Sangh was the coalition partner. Lalu Ji became the CM for the first time when BJP’s 33 MLAs supported him to reach majority. Later he broke the BJP also. The people of Bihar know very well that it was BJP who brought Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar in power but Lalu ji came out as corrupt leader and Nitish ji gave good governance.

What is your take on Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishor, who has recently levelled serious allegations against many BJP leaders including you.

He does not have any political experience; he has just entered one and half years back and he lacks political maturity. He does not have knowledge and experience of Bihar. Everything is there in my affidavit and he should say something new. These people do not have any issue; he has looted the country. He is doing politics after taking money from Congress party, Telangana and Karnataka.

Whom do you trust the most as far as your alliance partners are concerned?

I trust all my alliance partners and we all five will be contesting elections together as NDA. We talk about Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas and respect everyone. We need the support of all our partners.

When will seat sharing arrangements be done in NDA? Is it true that 100 seats each would be divided between BJP and JD-(U) and rest for alliance partners?

It will be done soon when all NDA partners and its party president will sit together. I do know about the number of seats.

What about Chirag Paswan, he seems to be asking for more seats?

He himself has said that he is with NDA and seats do not matter what matter is winning the seats. NDA has the target of winning all 243 seats. Bihar’s future will be made with the help of Chirag ji and Manjhi ji.