Patna:On the day RJD strongman LaluYadav’s daughter MisaBharati spent gruelling hour before in the Income Tax officials in unaccounted properties case, his ally Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar formally announced support for NDA’s presidential candidate RamnathKovind.
A day ahead of Opposition parties’ meeting in New Delhi to pick candidate for the Presidential election, Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) president Nitish Kumar on Wednesday announced his party’s support to NDA nominee RamnathKovind, a decision which could have ramifications in both the state as well as national politics.
It is not for the first time that JD(U) has taken an independent decision on major national issues despite its heavy dependence on RJD and Congress for survival of Nitish Kumar government.
JD(U)’s two coalition partners -- RJD and Congress had absorbed the earlier shocks given by Kumar when he supported demonetisation, backed surgical strike on terror launch pads in PoK and also seconded GST despite stiff opposition by other allies in his government.
The situation, however, is different this time with the relationship between RJD and BJP having reached its nadir in view of the BJP’s consistent attack on Lalu family, accusing it of creating ‘benami’ properties worth billions of rupees.The Income Tax department had conducted raids at 20 locations in Delhi and Gurgaon in connection last month with benami land deals linked to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The IT department on Monday had seized benami properties of Prasad’s daughter MisaBharti, son-in-law Shailesh Kumar and state Deputy Chief Minister TejaswiYadav.
Chief Minister Kumar, known for his strong penchant for clean image is in a fix in view of the charges of ‘benami’ properties made against Prasad and his family members. These charges against leaders of his coalition partner are already taking a heavy toll of his government’s image.Kumar is reportedly looking for an ‘escape route’ as he apprehends that his image would be further dented if he continues to carry on his relationship with ‘scam-tainted’ partner, RJD.
For the records, on Wednesday after holding one-on-one meetings with his party MPs and MLAs and senior leaders throughthe day, Kumar deputed his party general secretary KC Tyagi to make the decision public.
Tyagi also clarified that JD(U) would not participate in the meeting of opposition parties in New Delhi on Thursday for finalising candidate for Presidential election taking the plea that it had now no meaning.
To defend the party`s decision to support an NDA nominee in the presidential election, Tyagi said that JD(U) had adhered to ‘healthy’ democratic tradition by extending its support to Kovindand that Kumar had already informed Congress president Sonia Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad in this connection.