Rift in INDIA bloc? Nitish Kumar says ‘nothing happening’ accuses Congress for lack of progress

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar criticized the Congress for being too focused on the assembly polls in five states, which he believes has hindered the progress of the INDIA coalition's momentum. Kumar said this is because the Congress - one of the group's biggest members and assigned the "leading role", according to the Bihar leader - is preoccupied with state polls; party-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh vote this month, as do Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram. Addressing a Communist Party of India rally in Patna, Nitish Kumar remarked with a chuckle, "We have been speaking to them... pushing them forward in INDIA alliance. But, of late, there has not been much progress on that front. The Congress seems to be more interested in the five assembly polls."

The last meet of the INDIA group was on August 31-September 1 in Mumbai, after which it was announced the Congress would set the next dates. There was talk it may be in Delhi but no news has emerged since. There was also buzz it would be in Madhya Pradesh but that too did not happen.The first meeting of the INDIA bloc was held in Patna in June, at which Mr Kumar once again had to play peace-maker; this was after the Aam Aadmi Party threatened to boycott the meeting because the Congress had not backed its campaign against the Delhi adminstrative services ordinance.