Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party worked against his party, the Janata Dal (United), in the 2020 Assembly elections despite being in alliance at the time, reported PTI.

Kumar took oath as the chief minister for the eighth time on August 10 after snapping ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The current Bihar government comprises a coalition of the Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, four Left parties and an Independent candidate.

“They [BJP] should be reminded that never before had our party won fewer seats, either in Assembly polls of 2005 or 2010,” Kumar said on Sunday while addressing the plenary session of the Janata Dal (United) in Patna, reported PTI. “In 2020, we suffered as they tried to ensure the defeat of our candidates.”

In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the Janata Dal (United) won only 43 seats out of the total 243, while its alliance partner BJP won 74 seats. This was the JD(U)’s worst performance since the 2005 Assembly polls.

On Sunday, Kumar alleged that Bihar had not been receiving any benefits from the BJP government at the Centre despite being its ally at the time.

“The demand for special status was not accepted,” Kumar said. “He [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] belongs to a state which has been prosperous since British Raj. The nation cannot progress without developing the poorer ones.”

The special status category is given to states that face various disadvantages, including hilly and difficult terrain, economic and infrastructural backwardness, strategic location along international borders and low population density.

Kumar urged Opposition parties to come together in order to defeat the BJP on a national level. Soon after breaking off his alliance with the BJP in August, Kumar had met with Opposition leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party and Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress.