Amid rumours of rejoining JD(U), Pawan Varma meets Nitish Kumar

The former diplomat was expelled from the party in 2020 for questioning Nitish over his ‘ideological clarity’ on ties with BJP

Former diplomat and JD(U) national general secretary Pawan Varma, who was expelled from the party in January 2020 for questioning Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his “ideological clarity” on ties with the BJP beyond Bihar, met Mr. Kumar on Monday in Patna, sparking speculation that he may rejoin the party.

Earlier, in his two-page letter to Mr. Kumar, Mr. Varma had cited some “private” references of communication between Mr. Kumar and the BJP-RSS.

“Though I was expelled from the party, my relation with Nitish Kumar has always been cordial and respectful. I was expelled from the party due to my principles and opposition to the NRC [National Register of Citizens] and the CAA [Citizenship Amendment Act].

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“But, I came here to express my best wishes on the formation of mahagathbandhan [grand alliance] government in the State and his [Nitish Kumar] decision [to quit the National Democratic Alliance],” Mr. Varma told media persons on Tuesday.

When asked about the possibility of his rejoining the JD(U), Mr. Varma added, “There are always possibilities in politics but there was no such talk with Nitish Kumar over my rejoining the party and I am yet to make any decision over it but I will always remain Nitish Kumar ji’s well-wisher.”

However, the buzz in political circles is that Mr. Varma was called by Mr. Kumar with a specific task to control poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who currently is undertaking journeys across the length and breadth of Bihar while meeting local people, getting their feedback on governance and also attacking the Chief Minister on his remarks and statements against him.