‘Bihar ki Beti’ Meira Kumar Nominated Only to Lose, Says Nitish

Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar stuck by his decision to back NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, despite repeated calls from ally and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to reconsider his decision.

While Nitish had earlier extended his support to Kovind, who was also Bihar’s Governor at the time of his nomination, Lalu has fervently backed former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar’s candidature for the President’s post.

I respect Meira Kumar ji, but has ‘Bihar ki beti’ been nominated only to lose?

Nitish Kumar

Stating that the two parties had taken independent decisions in the past too, Kumar insisted that the parties’ differences not be made “a subject of political confrontation.”

The two leaders met at the Lalu’s residence for an Iftar Party organised by the RJD.

Lalu had earlier 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), Lalu 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.

Lalu to reporters upon his arrival at Patna Airport from New Delhi

There was no threat to the coalition government in Bihar, Lalu Yadav said, referring to his party’s alliance with Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) in the state.

On Thursday, Lalu had announced that he would meet Nitish, and urge him to reconsider his decision to back Kovind.

“I will meet Nitish Kumar and again urge him to change his decision,” he told reporters after attending the opposition meeting that picked former speaker Meira Kumar as its presidential nominee.

The JD(U)‘s surprise decision to back Kovind had led to cracks in the opposition camp, as its chief Nitish Kumar was the one who had initiated the process for a joint opposition strategy on the issue.

(With inputs from PTI.)

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