PM calls Nitish Kumar secular, Modi is no threat

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal United split, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday reached out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, calling him a secular leader.

Taking a potshot at the Gujarat Chief Minister, the Prime Minister also said that Narendra Modi is not a threat to the Congress in the next Lok Sabha elections, as the people know what he stands for.

On the possibility of Congress-JD(U) alliance, Manmohan Singh said, "In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies; we will decide as situation evolves. We have always sought the support from right thinking parties."
Manmohan Singh further said that he is hopeful that Rahul Gandhi will lead the UPA alliance in future.

"Rahul Gandhi is a national leader of the Congress; I hope he will lead the UPA alliance," Manmohan Singh said.

Asserting confidence that the UPA will come to power after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, the Prime Minister said, "We will have a third go as UPA and the people will again repose their faith in us."

Congress sees the JD(U) as a potential ally and in the last few days its leaders have left no chance in praising Kumar.

Earlier, the new Congress media wing chief Ajay Maken claimed that the party is growing under Rahul Gandhi while the NDA is shrinking with the JD(U) walking out of the alliance in Bihar