New Delhi: Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar is most likely to break ranks with the Opposition and support NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, citing regional compulsions as well as his excellent equation with the BJP’s pick for the highest constitutional post of the country.
Apart from the JD(U), there were many other parties, chiefly the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, who are also rethinking on their position of contesting the presidential polls with a joint Opposition candidate, the reason being that Mr Kovind hails from Uttar Pradesh and is a Dalit, which is the core constituency of these parties.
Thus, as of now, the parties, who are sure to contest out of the 17-party conglomerate, are the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, DMK and the Trinamul Congress. Talks are on between all for a common candidate, who is most likely to be dalit.
Though a formal decision would be taken at the JD(U)’s core committee meeting in Patna on Wednesday, sources said Mr Kumar has conveyed his feelings to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, both of whom are his alliance partners in the state.
His phone calls probably made senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad rush to Patna to hold talks and attend an Iftaar hosted by Mr Yadav. Congress has been floating the name of former Speaker Meira Kumar as the Opposition candidate to counter Mr Kovind, who is a Dalit.
Sources said Mr Kumar’s take was that it would be very difficult for his party not to support Mr Kovind, as he is a mahadalit, and as Bihar Governor, he had an excellent equation with the ruling party. He also does not fall into the category of a “hardcore” RSS person. The Opposition parties have decided to support the ruling party nominee only if he or she had “impeccable secular credentials”. “The Bihar CM has spoken with Ms Gandhi as well as Ahmed Patel and his own party colleague Sharad Yadav and expressed his view that besides being a mahadalit, Mr Kovind has never propagated the RSS line,” JD(U) national spokesperson K.C.Tyagi told this newspaper.
He said Mr Kumar is likely to put forward the same views in front of his party’s core committee, which will meet on Wednesday in Patna.
