bihar:Nitish backing virtually paves way for Kovind as President
PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday broke ranks with the opposition to support the NDA’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind, virtually paving the way for the BJP to sail through in the presidential polls.
Senior leaders Sharad Yadav and KC Tyagi said, “We have made the decision. There is no logic in the party attending the Opposition conclave in New Delhi tomorrow. The party will go with the NDA choice,” even as the Kerala unit voiced rebellion with Virendra Kumar MP saying the unit did not agree with the JD(U) core committee decision and had decided to vote against the NDA choice.
Tyagi said, “The JD(U) decision has been communicated to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the RJD chief and ally, Lalu Prasad. Our decision is taken and there is nothing for us to discuss at the conclave”, he added even as Sharad Yadav said, the decision should be seen in isolation and would have no impact on the ruling Grand Alliance coalition in Bihar, whatsoever.
This is the second time, that the JD(U) has gone against its own ally-the first as a BJP partner when it went with Congress choice of Pranab Mukherjee against NDAs nominee late PA Sangma in 2012.
The decision must have also been influenced by the JD(U)’s need to cultivate mahadalits as Kovind belongs to a similar social group of Kolis-among the most depressed groups in UP. Also, his close proximity to Kovind in comparison to state BJP leaders, may have played a part.
However, with the JD(U) joining several non-BJP groups like BJD, TDP and factions of AIIDMK to back Kovind, the scale has tilted clearly in the ex-Bihar govenors favour to succeed President Pranab Mukherjee next month.
Kumar had given fair given indication of his thinking at a late evening function in Phulwari Sharif on the outskirts of Patna, when pointing to Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav and his own party colleague and area legislator Shyam Rajak, he said, “Those two were known as Ram-Shyam of RJD, but they are now in opposite parties”.
Kumar had said to good effect, “Their split and moving to other parties is not at all surprising, since such things are routine in politics, with people moving from one to another, all the time”.
Party sources said, “It was clear, which way the party would move, when Kumar met the outgoing governor and praised him for working with the state government within the constitutional mandate in a non-controversial way”. He had further said, “Kovind is a good man with Bihar connection and has proved to be non-controversial during his stint at Raj Bhawan till recently
Kumar had given fair ample indication of his thinking at a late evening function in Phulwari Sharif on the outskirts of Patna, when pointing to Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav and his own party colleague and area legislator Shyam Rajak, he said, “Those two were known as Ram-Shyam of RJD, but they are now in opposite parties”.
Kumar had said to good effect, “Their split and moving to other parties is not at all surprising, since such things are routine in politics, with people moving from one to another, all the time”.
Party sources said, “It was clear, which way the party would move, when Kumar met the outgoing governor and praised him for working with the state government within the constitutional mandate in a non-controversial way”.
He had further said, “Kovind is a good man with Bihar connection and has proved to be non-controversial during his stint at Raj Bhawan till recently
With 71 MLA and two MPs, the JD(U) has substantial vote in terms of first preference votes on which a president is elected.
