Patna The ruling Janata Dal United (JD-U) in Bihar headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar is learnt to have decided to support NDA’s Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind who earlier served as the Governor before being nominated to this position.
A clear hint of this came out on Wednesday during a meeting of the JD-U’s core committee held in Patna to decide over extending support to Kovind, also a leader from Dalit community which has been the key support base of the party. However, the party is still keeping the card to its chest and yet to formally announce its decision although the leaders and lawmakers have authorized the party chief Kumar to take a decision.
“First, he (Kovind) served as the Governor of Bihar and secondly he is a very nice person. Out leader has told us to support him,” a JD-U lawmaker Ratnesh Sada told the media in Patna, emerging out of the meeting.
Another JD-U leader and minister, Jai Kumar Singh too heaped praises on NDA nominee, describing him as a nice person who maintained very good rapport with the state government and also worked towards the state’s development. Such statements amply indicate the JD-U will be taking an entirely different stand from its alliance partners.
The move has come as a serious blow to the opposition unity well ahead of the Presidential elections. Strangely, the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) plan to oppose candidature of NDA nominee. Only on Tuesday, a senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had announced to oppose the NDA nominee on the basis of ideology.
“We have ideological differences with the BJP. We don’t have personal enmity,” was how Azad told the media in Patna on Tuesday evening. He was here to participate in a Iftar party hosted by the Congress.
That the JD-U will be taking a different stand away from its allies had become amply clear on Monday itself when the chief minister not only rushed to Raj Bhawan to greet the Governor on his nomination but also showered praises on him for his exceptional performances moments after Kovind was named as NDA’s presidential nominee. Kumar also said he was personally happy with his nomination as NDA’s presidential pick.
“He (Kovind) performed exceptionally well as the Governor of Bihar and maintained dignity of his office. We will always remember for this,” was how Kumar told the media on Monday, emerging out of the Raj Bhawan. He added he was personally happy over his nomination and asserted it was also a matter of great pride that the Governor of Bihar had been made the Presidential candidate.
