Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar not only sought special category status for Bihar at the fourth Niti Aayog governing council meeting in New Delhi but also supported a similar demand by his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the Congress declared that it was willing to take Nitish back if he quits the NDA.

Apart from a pressure tactic, Nitish's move was seen as a snub to the BJP, especially in the light of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also supporting to Naidu whose TDP had quit the BJP-led NDA earlier this year over special category status for Andhra.

Criticising centrally assisted schemes such as anganwadi centres and mid-day meals, Nitish said that temples of education had been reduced to cooking centres.

All India Congress Committee Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil said in Delhi on Sunday that if Nitish leaves the NDA, the Congress and its allied parties could consider taking him back in the Grand Alliance.

Raising the demand for Bihar, Nitish said: "Analysis of data... suggests that some states are far below the national average on multiple parameters of development.... Our demand for special category status for Bihar emanates from this very premise. We have repeatedly raised the demand to the central government... as it will enhance the availability of resources by lowering the state contribution in centrally-sponsored schemes, improve access to external resources, act as a catalyst for private investment based on tax breaks and concessions, and act as a spur to employment generation."

The chief minister also the Aayog's support to his government's developmental schemes related to infrastructure and industrial development, agriculture road map, skill development, welfare of weaker sections, Bihar Vikas Mission and the 'seven resolves for a developed Bihar'.

Nitish also demanded the release of Rs 2,517 crore pending for Bihar under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF), and pointed out how the increase of tax transfers to Bihar in the wake of the 14th Finance Commission was negated by the reduction in allocations by the Centre for the central plan schemes.

The Niti Aayog's official handle tweeted on Sunday: "We need to make special efforts to bring backward states like Bihar up to the level of the rest of the country. #NITI should assess how schemes can be implemented depending on needs of specific states."

The tweet tagged Nitish's account as well.