Reiterating that Nitish Kumar was “prime minister material”, the JD(U) on Monday said it wasn’t staking claim to the highest seat of power for the Bihar chief minister but “numbers” would be no problem if such a situation arose.

A statement to the effect was made by the party’s parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha, who testily brushed aside remarks by some leaders in the state BJP that one needed the support of 272 MPs to become the PM, and that the JD(U) was unlikely to win as many seats on its own.