You wanted to make country 'Sangh-mukt': Lalu Prasad Yadav slams Nitish Kumar's move to back Ram Nath Kovind

 RJD chief Lalu Prasad again appealed to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not to make a "historic blunder" by extending support to the NDA nominee for the presidential poll. Describing the combined opposition nominee Meira Kumar as "Bihar ki Beti" (daughter of Bihar), Prasad appealed to Kumar to "mend the historic blunder" of supporting NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind. "We are still treading on the path you had suggested to make the country 'Sangh-mukt'...don't know what made Kumar move away and extend support to a RSS man," Prasad told reporters on his arrival at the Jayprakash Narayan Airport at Patna from New Delhi.

The RJD president, however, made it clear that the divergent paths taken by his party and the JD(U) would have no impact on the Grand Alliance government in Bihar headed by Kumar.

"There will be no impact of this (different views of the RJD and the JD(U)) on the Grand Alliance government in the future," Prasad said.

Bihar JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh repeated the party's decision to support Kovind and made it clear that there was no going back on it.

"Kovind as governor of Bihar walked hand-in-hand with the state government on the path of development... he has displayed attachment with Bihar," Singh said. His party colleague Shyam Rajak echoed similar views.
"Hum logo ne thok-baja ke faisla liya hain (we have taken a decision after meticulously taking everything into account)," Rajak told PTI. Rajak is deputy leader in the state assembly and a member of the JD(U) core committee which decided on Tuesday to support Kovind.

Adhering to his stand on supporting the NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the JD(U) took the decision after considering all aspects and the election for the top office should not be a matter of confrontation.

He said his party had always taken independent decisions, including backing the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee, who was then the UPA's nominee, for the post while being in the NDA.
"Kovind's name was announced first by the ruling party and we do not have any objection to his name. That is why we supported him," he told reporters here.
The JD(U) had yesterday rejected its ally and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's request to reconsider its support to the NDA's presidential pick, saying its stand was based on merit and it would stick it.

"Everyone is independent to put forth views. As far as the 'mahagathbandhan' is concerned, it is not an issue of the alliance. It is a decision to be taken by each party separately," Kumar said.
He said he had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and that he had conveyed to them that it was a matter of pride that Bihar Governor Kovind will become the next president.
Kovind had worked for Bihar without any bias, he said.

"It's an election for the post of the president. It should not become an issue of confrontation," Kumar asserted.
He said the party could have conveyed its view at the opposition meeting yesterday to pick its nominee, but when Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had come to Patna a day earlier he had made clear his stand.
"There should be a strategy for the 2019 general elections. This is not for victory in 2019," the Bihar chief minister said.

"There is no doubt about the result. We have a lot of respect for 'Bihar ki beti' (Meira Kumar). But the question is has the 'Bihar ki beti' been chosen as the opposition candidate, but she will lose," he said.
"You (Congress) had opportunities twice. But, why didn't you chose the 'Bihar ki beti' when she had a chance to win? I believe they should have a re-think," Kumar said, adding, "But you (Congress) have begun with a losing strategy." He said the president's chair was not for a political battle.
"Had there been a consensus, it would have been a good thing, but I do not consider it should be a matter for raising questions," Kumar said.