Nitish Kumar dismisses speculations of leaving NDA, recalls Atal Bihari Vajpayee's support (WATCH)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday dismissed the possibility of leaving the NDA, emphasizing the long-standing relationship he has had with the BJP.

The JD(U) leader described his previous brief alliances with the RJD-Congress alliance as a "mistake" and nostalgically recalled the support he had consistently received from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"It was respected Atal ji who made me a Union minister. He used to shower so much of affection on me. I never faced any difficulty in getting my proposals cleared,” Kumar told reporters in Vaishali district, which he toured as part of the state-wide ‘Pragati Yatra’.

The longest-serving chief minister of Bihar also recalled that it was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's wish for him to become the CM when the NDA first won the assembly elections in the state in 2005.

"So, why would I not stay (with the BJP)? A couple of times the people in my party committed a mistake (by pressing for an alliance with the Congress-RJD combine). I rectified it both times,” said the JD(U) president.

Kumar was responding to questions about growing speculations in political circles, sparked by Union Home Minister Amit Shah's ambiguous stance on his potential candidacy for chief minister in the upcoming assembly elections, less than a year away.

The speculations intensified after RJD president Lalu Prasad recently stated that he was keeping his "doors open" for his long-time rival, Kumar.