Amid speculation over who the next President would be, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said it would be good if incumbent Pranab Mukherjee got a second term. But for this, “the ruling alliance has to take the initiative for a consensus.”
“That would be setting a healthy tradition. But if this does not happen, it becomes obligatory for the Opposition parties to field their own candidate,” Mr. Kumar said, while addressing journalists in Patna.
The Opposition parties are said to be making efforts to pitch a joint candidate.
President Mukherjee’s term is set to end in July this year.
Though the ruling alliance has not revealed its cards yet on the choice of its presidential candidate, the Opposition parties are said to be making efforts to pitch a joint candidate.
‘No national ambition’
Mr. Kumar categorically denied that he was in the race for the prime ministerial post in the 2019 general elections. “I’m not that stupid…I have a small party and I wish to expand my party at the national level. But that doesn’t mean that I’m aspiring for the PM’s post,” he said. Mr Kumar also wondered why people often projected him as a claimant for the PM’s post. “People of Bihar have given me a mandate to work in Bihar and I’m doing my job. I have no national ambition,” he said.
After Mr. Kumar’s elevation as JD(U)’s national president in April last year, several party leaders and even National Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had projected him as “PM material”.
Asked who will be the Opposition’s candidate to counter Narendra Modi in the 2019 general elections, Mr. Kumar said it was too early to say this. “But those who are capable should counter him…Narendra Modi himself is holding the post of Prime Minister as people of the country found him capable of holding that post,” he said.
Mr. Kumar also broke his silence over the charges levelled against his ruling alliance partner RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, for accumulating disproportionate assets. “Whatever charges have been made, Lalu Prasad has responded and there is no need for a third party to make an intervention…If those who have made the charge think that there is substance in it, they should take legal recourse, instead of making statements in the media.”
“All the charges made are related to the Company Act and that comes under the purview of the Central government…but it’s all being done to undermine the development works done by the State government.”
Lalu Prasad’s younger son and Bihar’s Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav was present at the interaction.
