JDU to meet over presidential poll
NEW DELHI/PATNA: Top leaders of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal-United will meet in Patna on Wednesday to decide the party’s stance on the President’s election in which the NDA has decided to field Ram Nath Kovind.
“Top leaders of the party will decide on the Presidential candidature,” JDU spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan said over phone from Patna.
Meanwhile, party’s Bihar unit chief Bashistha Narain Singh: “The top leadership of the party, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will decide on it (on the presidential candidate). Nitishji has also spoken to (Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi and (Congress leader) Ghulam Nabi Azad over the issue.”
Remaining tightlipped on supporting Kovind, Singh indicated that there are several other things that will be discussed in the meeting.
“As he (Kovind) was Governor of Bihar, there are many other things... and if Bihar’s governor becomes President, then it shall be a matter of pride for the state,” he said.
Describing Kovind as an unbaised Governor, Singh, who is also a Rajya Sabha member said: “Kovindji has done a good job as Governor of Bihar.
He never interfered in the government’s works and always respected the Constitution.” “He remained unbaised,” he said. The JDU leader said that Kovind used to take part in the social work which brought him more close to people of the state.
He also said that Kovind was unaware of the BJP’s decision to make him a Presidential candidate.
“Just two days ago, me and Kovindji both of us were there in a programme in Patna where 151 couples were getting married and there we spoke but he was unaware of his party’s decision,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the Shiv Sena as it takes a call here on Tuesday evening on whether or not to support its ally and BJP’s Presidential nominee Kovind.
Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has convened a meeting of senior party leaders including ministers, legislators and MPs to discuss Kovind’s candidature.
However, there are indications that the Sena may not announce its decision immediately and may adopt a wait-and-watch policy till Thursday when the opposition parties finalise their candidate.
The Sena meeting comes a day after Thackeray accused the BJP of playing Dalit vote-bank politics and of fielding Kovind merely to capture Dalit votes.
“If they have declared Kovind’s name for getting Dalit votes, then we are not interested. The Shiv Sena has always kept away from such vote-bank politics,” Thackeray said on Monday night at a rally to mark the party’s 51st foundation day celebrations.
He added that if the next President proves to be beneficial for all the people of the country and not just Dalits, “then make anybody. We will openly support.”
For the Sena, a Catch-22 situation has arisen with a Dalit candidate in the fray and speculation mounting that the Congress may want to field either former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and or former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde — both Dalits.
If Meira Kumar is nominated, it would be difficult for the Sena not to back Kovind. But if Shinde is nominated, the Sena is most likely to support him on the ground that he is a “son of the soil”.