Congress President Sonia Gandhi had convened a meeting of all the leaders of opposition parties at her residence on Friday, in which there would be discussions about the presidential election, but Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not arrive. There was a discussion in this meeting about who would be the candidate for the opposition parties to contest the upcoming NDA candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
Nitish has sent JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav as his representative in this meeting, but the reason for keeping distance from the meeting himself is coming out further.
In fact, Nitish gave a statement about Presidential elections just a few days back, in which he had said that if President Pranab Mukherjee is elected then he would welcome it. Talking to reporters, Nitish had said that if Pranab Mukherjee becomes President again, nothing good can happen.
But there is considerable disagreement among opposition parties about Pranab Mukherjee being re-elected President. According to sources, on 20th April, Nitish Kumar had met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi and advised Pranab to become president again, but Sonia Gandhi refused.
Sonia Gandhi’s closest and national Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav also cleared the intention to not make Pranab Mukherjee again. Lalu has clarified last week that Pranab Mukherjee
They are not going to be the president again and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, whoever chooses as a presidential candidate, the candidate will be approved by them.
Obviously, Pranab Mukherjee as the presidential candidate is Nitish’s first choice but the Opposition is not ready for it, and this is why Nitish Kumar has made a distance from the meeting convened by Sonia Gandhi.