Nitish Kumar rules out return to NDA, hints at Third Front formation

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday ruled out his party Janata Dal-United's JD(U) return to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA.

"There is no question of us returning to the NDA," Nitish Kumar said at a function.

The Chief Minister's statement came after JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on Friday reportedly said that his party may return to the NDA after the Lok Sabha polls.

However, Sharad Yadav on Saturday denied making such a statement.

Nitish Kumar said there is a strong possibility of a non-BJP and non-Congress formation by like minded parties including the JD(U), Left parties and other regional parties.

"We are keen on trying for a new front on the basis of understanding and cooperation to take on the Congress and the BJP in elections," he said.

Earlier, Nitish Kumar said talks were on "among like-minded parties" on forming a new front ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Chief Minister said his party along with the Left parties, including the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), had been working on forming a new political formation.

Nitish Kumar dumped the BJP in June last year and ended a 17-year-old alliance with the saffron party over its naming Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate for this year's Lok Sabha polls.