Opposition unity suffers a big jolt as JD(U) walks off
PATNA: The JD(U)’s decision to go with BJP-led NDA’s pick for President has come as a setback to the Congress, RJD and Left parties, which were keen on putting up a strong fight in the presidential contest due to ideological differences with the BJP.
While Congress state president Ashok Choudhary declined to comment on the development, RJD’s national spokesperson Manoj Jha sounded guarded, saying there have been past precedents of parties in coalitions going alone with their own preference to vote a president.
“Even Shiv Sena, despite being an ally of BJP, had supported UPA candidate Pratibha Devi Singh Patil in 2007 presidential polls,” Jha said.
But later in the day, RJD’s senior MLA Bhai Virendra called the JD(U)’s decision as ‘unfortunate’, adding “chief minister Nitish Kumar has shown his scant regard for opposition unity”.
There are chances that the RJD and other opposition parties would take a hard stand against JD(U) at the Thursday meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to discuss a nominee from the opposition camp to contest Ram Nath Kovind’s nomination by the NDA.
“Kovind has an impeccable track record as an administrator and maintained a neutral stand as Governor instead of making Raj Bhawan a hub of BJP leaders in comparison to earlier BJP nominated governors. Kovind also has a Bihar connection and belongs to the mahadalit community. So, we thought it prudent to support him,” said a senior JD(U) MP, seeking anonymity.
If that is one reason, many feel, Kumar has once again tried to convey to grand alliance leaders that he has an independent mind and could take decisions, which may not suit them.
Kumar has raised eyebrows regularly in the past despite drawing strong reaction from allies, including RJD for having supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his demonetisation drive and surgical strike in Pakistan and also attending Modi’s lunch with Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth while skipping the lunch hosted by Sonia Gandhi to discuss an opposition unity for presidential polls on May 28.
The chief minister’s way of working independently ignoring the ‘pulls and pressures’ of coalition politics has kept speculations alive that he was in close touch with old ally BJP and could switch over to the saffron brigade. It’s a different matter, Kumar has maintained a stony silence on such speculations.
“The JD(U)’s decision to side with NDA nominee has once again brought to fore fissures within the grand alliance and exposed how the coalition’s foundation is brittle,” said a senior GA leader, commenting on the contradictions within the ruling coalition in Bihar.
