Not Campaigning In Uttar Pradesh, Punjab: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar today said he would not go for campaigning either in Uttar Pradesh or Punjab for the Assembly elections.

"I am not going anywhere, neither Uttar Pradesh nor Punjab for campaigning. Rather, I would continue with the 'Nishchay yatra' in Bihar," Mr Kumar told reporters.

"I am working on my own agenda instead of working on others' agendas," he said.

Asked with which party he was linked with in UP and Punjab, Mr Kumar, in a lighter vein, replied: "I am linked with you and the people."

Mr Kumar had made several trips to UP indicating that he would play a role in poll in the most populous state. In Punjab too, media reports had indicated that he and JD(U) would be a player in the poll particularly after successfully hosting 350th Prakash Parva to celebrate birth anniversary of 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and citizens from that state had showered fulsome praise on Mr Kumar for grand arrangement on Prakash Parva that ended on January 5 last.

After meeting of the core committee on January 23 last, the JD(U) had made it clear that it would not enter the Uttar Pradesh election field.

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad, who has also not fielded any candidate there, had previously said he and Mr Kumar would work for the victory of Samajwadi Party in UP.