JD(U) to vote for Gopalkrishna Gandhi in vice presidential poll

He was Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's choice for Opposition's presidential candidate.

Opposition candidate for the Vice-President elections Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

The Janata Dal (U) which last week broke its alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress in Bihar will nevertheless vote for the Opposition’s candidate in the vice-presidential poll, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, on Sunday.

Speaking to The Hindu , JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi said the commitment to Mr. Gandhi predated the break-up in the Mahagathbandhan alliance and therefore the party would not back out on that.

“We have informed the BJP of the same,” he said.

Nitish’s choice

Significantly, Mr. Gandhi was Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s choice for the Opposition’s presidential candidate as well, but the Congress persuaded other parties in the 18-party grouping to support former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

The JD(U) had supported the NDA’s candidate and current President Ram Nath Kovind in the poll.

Mr. Tyagi said the MPs belonging to the JD(U) in both Houses of Parliament have been instructed to support the NDA on all other issues.

Significantly, JD(U) MPs, Ali Anwar and M.P. Veerendra Kumar, have expressed dissatisfaction with the tie-up with the BJP, and, so has the party’s founding president and senior leader Sharad Yadav.

Against mandate: Sharad

Mr. Sharad Yadav on Monday broke his silence on his party’s alliance with the BJP in Bihar by declaring it as being “against the mandate” given to it by the people.

Mr. Yadav had maintained a studied silence since last week’s events that saw Chief Minister Nitish Kumar break the Mahagathbandhan alliance with the RJD and the Congress and tie up with the BJP instead.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, he said, “I don’t agree with the decision in Bihar. The mandate by the people was not for this.”

Sources told The Hindu that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has had “two rounds of talks with Sharadji and asked him to join him.”

Not in the loop

Mr. Sharad Yadav has been upset over the fact that Mr. Kumar effected the break with the Mahagathbandhan and the tie-up with the BJP without keeping him in the loop, and encouraging him to talk to the Opposition parties on issues of common concern.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke to Mr. Yadav but in the absence of a clear road map on what his role could be in the NDA, he was not mollified and has been tweeting on various issues calling the Central government to account.