Backing Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Demands Full Statehood For Delhi

With months left to the much-crucial Delhi Assembly Elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday extended his support to the demand of giving full statehood to the national capital as his party Janata Dal United (JDU) gears up for the poll.

Nitish Kumar also reiterated his demand for giving a special status to Bihar. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: With months left to the much-crucial Delhi Assembly Elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday extended his support to the demand of giving full statehood to the national capital as his party Janata Dal United (JDU) gears up for the poll. Full statehood for Delhi is a longstanding demand of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal which has still not been approved by the Central government. Addressing a gathering, Kumar also reiterated his demand for giving a special status to Bihar, even though the Modi government has already denied it. "Just like we want special status for Bihar, we have always wanted statehood for Delhi," Kumar said while addressing a gathering of his party workers in Delhi's Badarpur area earlier today. Though the is an ally of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its alliance with the saffron party has remained confined to Bihar and it has been fighting polls outside the state on its own. In Delhi elections, the party is eyeing migrant voters from Poorvanchal and Bihar to make an impact in the city where the ruling AAP, BJP and the Congress are key contenders. After Assembly elections in politically crucial Maharashtra and Haryana held on October 21 (results on October 23), the national capital will head of its legislative elections in early 2020. While the ruling AAP and BJP seems to be the front runners in the elections, Congress still continues to battle its internal feud. Claiming there is a huge pro-incumbency in AAP's favour, Kejriwal had said that the upcoming assembly polls will be contested on the issues of schools, hospitals, water, dengue, pollution and CCTV, among other developmental works. In a tweet, Kejriwal called it a good sign for democracy. "Delhi elections will take place on the issues of schools, hospitals, elect, water, dengue, pollution, CCTV etc. Good signs for Indian democracy. Huge pro-incumbency in AAP's favour," he said. The ruling AAP have claimed that they will win all the 70 assembly seats this time. The tenure of the Kejriwal government will end in February 2020.