Amit Shah welcomes JDU joining NDA

BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday welcomed Nitish Kumar led JDU's decision to join the NDA and said that it will unleash "a new era of development" in the state that will be crucial to approach its "mission 350" in the 2019 elections.

The JDU at its national executive meeting in Patna took a formal decision to join the NDA, a homecoming after four years when Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had quit the coalition to object the BJP's decision to project Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate.

"I welcome the JD(U) decision of joining NDA, as this will not only strengthen the NDA but will also begin a new era of development and growth in Bihar," Shah



said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reward the JDU by giving its Bihar ally a share in council of ministers that has space due to existing vacancies in defence, environment, urban development ministries which arose after Manohar Parikkar became Goa chief minister, Anil Dave's death and M Venkaiah Naidu's elevation as vice president of India. Modi is believed to be also considering a reshuffle of the cabinet as well.

The BJP leaders believe that JDU shaking hands also fits into Modi and Shah's backward politics which the party had effectively implemented in Uttar Pradesh after learning lessons from its Bihar debacle when Kumar was in the opposition camp.