Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Nitish Kumar returned to Patna from Delhi on Thursday, but asserted that he had no plans to meet his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal or Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

He also pointed out that there will be a strong contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and it will be in the interest of the country.

Nitish had kept his Delhi itinerary away from the gaze of the public but had set the political grapevine buzzing after being seen offering floral tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial ‘Sadaiv Atal’ on the occasion of his death anniversary.

Several senior BJP leaders were also present there and the Bihar chief minister’s step set the political grapevine buzzing and gave an impression that he was cozying up to the saffron party.

Insinuating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders spread misinformation about his visit to the national capital, Nitish told reporters: “It was the occasion of the anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and I went there. It took a lot of time. Otherwise, I had no talks with anyone.”

He dismissed that he had plans to meet Kejriwal or Kharge and trashed the statements by several Bihar BJP leaders that the two leaders did not give him an appointment.

“There was nothing like this. Don’t we talk when they (Opposition leaders) call? Don’t we keep talking? I had gone there with limited work and had to come back. There was no plan to talk to anyone. I keep talking to them,” said Nitish.

The Bihar chief minister revealed that he consulted an ophthalmologist in Delhi. “I had undergone an eye-related procedure around one-and-a-half or two years ago and have gotten my eyes checked often since then. I then took some rest. I had gone there with limited work and was to return today,” Nitish added.

The JDU leader emphasised his cordial relation with Vajpayee and said that the name National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was coined in 1999 and he came when he took oath as the chief minister of Bihar.

Nitish said that a direct impact of the formation of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was that the NDA meetings were being called.

“Did they (the BJP) call NDA meetings when we were together? They are holding meetings after INDIA has been formed. NDA meetings used to be held regularly during Vajpayee’s tenure,” Nitish added.

The Bihar chief minister said that the new Opposition alliance started from Patna and its name was kept at the second meeting in Bengaluru and will meet next in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.

Talking about the contest between INDIA and the NDA in the 2024 general elections, Nitish said: “Pakka hoga, bahut achcha hoga, desh ke hit mein hoga. (There will definitely be a vigorous and very good contest. It will be in the interest of the country. Understand this.”