INDIA bloc won't be much affected if Nitish quits: Mamata

Kolkata, Jan 26:  Amid strong rumours of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar quitting the INDIA bloc and reuniting with the BJP in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that the eventuality of Kumar’s exit will not affect the opposition bloc much.

“I think Nitish Kumar has lost his credibility in the eyes of the people of Bihar. If he quits, it will be easier for Tejashwi Yadav to operate smoothly in Bihar,” Banerjee told mediapersons on the sidelines of an event at the Raj Bhavan to mark the 75th Republic Day of the country.

Recently, while announcing that her party Trinamool Congress will go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, Banerjee had said that the regional parties will remain united and all future decisions will be taken only after the results for the Lok Sabha polls are declared.

On Friday, Banerjee also issued a strong note of caution to the Union government over the non-release of the Central funds to the West Bengal government under various Centrally-sponsored schemes.

“Unless the Central funds are released within the next seven days, there will be further movements on this the matter,” Banerjee said.

According to the Chief Minister, the Central funds have not been released even after the state government gave satisfactory replies to all the queries posed by the Union government.

She also said that the nature of the future movements will be finalised in due course.