Bihar saw growth under Nitish, he is best person for CM: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Bihar has been a poor state but it has registered growth during the UPA regime that coincided with the tenure of Nitish Kumar. UPA started some very good schemes and Nitish sincerely implemented them. He is known for his integrity and is the best person to continue as CM. We may have differences with RJD and JD(U), but secularism is the binding factor. After all, it is a fight between secular and non-secular forces. Bihar election will decide which route the country takes. We are confident of victory.

But is Lalu Prasad not overdoing caste politics, especially since his Raghopur “forward-backward” remark?

That is Lalu Prasad for you. He will cater to his constituency and JD(U) and Congress to theirs. Though growth and development is the theme of this election, caste has been reality of Bihar and UP politics for two-and-a-half decades. Development is an agenda, but caste is the reality.

Does Congress endorse the Lalu brand of caste politics that may not work in 2015 as it did in 1990s?

We are endorsing the Nitish Kumar brand of development politics. Lalu Prasad is not going to be CM. Nitish Kumar is the dulha in the Grand Alliance and we are the wedding party. But what about NDA, which has baaratis but no dulha?

Will Sonia and Rahul Gandhi share dais with Lalu and Nitish during the campaign again?

Soniaji has shared dais with Laluji and Nitish at the launch of the poll campaign. We generally do not campaign with our alliance partners. Our leaders are campaigning for candidates of JD(U) and RJD though. I am not sure if there will be another joint show of the top three leaders unless there is a need for it.

What is Congress’s take on the beef controversy? Does the party support beef ban?

What happened in Dadri is a result of BJP’s attempt to polarise the society on religious lines. The assault of an Independent MLA in J&K Assembly is another reflection of such communal polarising. We are in favour of the ban on a particular type of beef (cow meat) but support export of other types.

How do you react to the President reinforcing plurality in an obvious reference to the beef controversy?

I would like to congratulate him. At last, he made the PM realise that India is a pluralistic state.