No graft taint on him: Rajnath on decision to have Nitish back in NDA fold

Rajnath Singh, the current Defence Minister of India, played a key role in bringing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar back into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold in 2017. The decision to welcome Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal (United) party back into the NDA after a split was significant as there were allegations of corruption against some of his ministers and leaders. However, it is important to note that there was no proven graft case against Nitish Kumar himself at that time.

In August 2017, Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar Chief Minister following allegations of corruption against his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and other ministers in his cabinet. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress party had accused the JD(U) leaders of involvement in various scams, including the multi-crore fodder scam and the land-for-jobs scam.

Amidst this political turmoil, Rajnath Singh played a crucial role in bringing Nitish Kumar back into the NDA. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the largest party in the NDA, was keen on having JD(U) back as it was an important ally in Bihar, where the BJP had a limited presence.

Rajnath Singh, who was then the BJP president, held several meetings with Nitish Kumar and his team to discuss the possibility of rejoining the NDA. During these discussions, Rajnath Singh reportedly assured Nitish Kumar that the BJP would not interfere in the ongoing investigations against his ministers and leaders and would allow due process of law to take its course.

Nitish Kumar, who was facing pressure from his party and the opposition to quit the NDA over the corruption allegations, was reassured by Rajnath Singh's stance and decided to return to the alliance. The JD(U) joined the NDA once again, and Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for the fourth time on August 27, 2017.

It is important to note that while there were allegations of corruption against some of Nitish Kumar's ministers and leaders, there was no proven graft case against Nitish Kumar himself at that time. He had distanced himself from his tainted colleagues and had even expelled some of them from his party. The BJP's decision to welcome JD(U) back into the NDA despite the corruption allegations was a strategic move aimed at strengthening its position in Bihar and maintaining a united front against the opposition.