Bihar CM believes it is a defeatist strategy of the Opposition to field 'Bihar ki Beti' Meira Kumar as Presidential candidate
Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) President Nitish Kumar's outburst on Friday, where he countered the Opposition's move of fielding Meira Kumar as Presidential nominee against Ram Nath Kovind in a point-by-point rebuttal, has stunned the senior leadership of the Mahagathbandhan into silence.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) or Congress, with whom Kumar runs the grand alliance government in Bihar, may not have expected such a reaction from an ally.
"It was Kumar who talked of Sangh-mukt Bharat and Opposition unity. If he had a winning strategy, he should have shared it earlier instead of flaying his coalition partners," a senior Bihar Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.
Kumar on Friday said the united Opposition was making its beginning with a losing strategy and had questioned their selection of former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the next President of India. "Has Bihar ki beti been chosen to lose?" Kumar questioned, and reiterated that his party would support NDA candidate Kovind in the July 17 Presidential polls.
Neither RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav nor Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary spoke on the issue on Saturday. Even on Friday, at Yadav's Iftar party, Kumar and the RJD chief hardly spoke despite sitting next to each other. Political observers said it was not a healthy signal for the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
Tension prevails among the rank and file of the three constituent parties, with junior leaders already making public comments against one another. On Saturday, RLD MLA Bhai Virendra called Kumar a "thag" (cheat). "Aisa koi saga nahi jisko wo thaga nahi (There is no close associate whom he has not cheated)," Virendra said and alleged that he entered into an agreement with the RSS.
On the other hand, JD (U) MLA Shyam Rajak hinted at the chance of cross-voting and said, "Every legislator who respects Kovind's ideology and his caring outlook is bound to support him in the polls."
Analysis
Now that Nitish’s party has decided to support Kovind, it is safe to assume that the ruling alliance in Bihar might crumble earlier than expected.
The biggest alliance partner, RJD, is now in a fix because Nitish has already distanced himself from the corruption charges levelled against Prasad and his family.
By backing Kovind, Nitish has made it clear that he will continue to take decisions without taking care of the RJD or the Congress.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Nitish-lalu")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}