Former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav maintains silence over Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s projection as the next prime ministerial candidate. On the eve of Mr Kumar’s crowning as the national president of Janata Dal (United) murmuring within the party over his projection as prime ministerial candidate started getting louder.
The national council meeting is slated for Saturday during which Mr Kumar would officially take over the reign of the party from Mr Yadav. When asked to comment on Mr Kumar’s projection as the candidate for the PM post for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mr Sharad Yadav said, “Anything about the issue can be said only after meeting with other party leaders.”
Mr Kumar has been trying to create a mahagathbandhan type formula to rein in BJP at the national level with the vow to make “Sangh-mukt” India.
While RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was the first to support Mr Kumar, other leaders had given a lukewarm response. Besides a section of his own party leaders, the Congress, an important part of the alliance, too doesn’t like the idea to elevate Mr Kumar as the PM candidate as it feels that vice-president “Rahul Gandhi would be the suitable candidate for the post”.
Congress leaders don’t see “much charisma or mass base at the national level” in Mr Kumar’s favour. The Congress on Friday claimed that “even his efforts to forge an alliance or merge his party at the national level has failed so far as no major political party has shown any interest.
