In Patna, Swamy says he'll ask Nitish if he has PM ambitions

Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on April 22 described Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as an “old friend” whose efforts to unite the opposition against his own party he was averse to criticise.

Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on April 22 described Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as an "old friend" whose efforts to unite the opposition against his own party he was averse to criticise.

Mr. Swamy, who remains in news for his plain speaking as much as his legal activism against the high and the mighty, had a free-wheeling chat with journalists in the Bihar capital.

In the city for attending a conclave of law students, Mr. Swamy was asked whether he saw any chance of success for Kumar's endeavours given the numerous problems plaguing the opposition parties, most notably the disqualification of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"Nitish Kumar has been an old friend. How can I say no in reply to such a question," quipped Mr. Swamy, who has been in the political wilderness since his Rajya Sabha term ended last year.

Asked whether he thought the JD(U) supremo could become the Prime Minister in the future, Mr. Swamy replied with his trademark wry smile, "How can I say unless Mr. Nitish himself expresses such a desire? I have sought an appointment with him. If he agrees to meet, I will enquire whether he is interested in the top job."

The former Union Minister, who has often been critical of the Narendra Modi Government's handling of the economy, was also asked about the need for a population law in the light of the UNFPA stating that India would soon outnumber China.

"We need to understand that population growth is inversely proportional to the rate of economic progress. Just compare our population growth today with what it used to be 50-60 years ago. If the economy grows at the rate of 10% or more, stabilisation of population will follow naturally," he said.