Presidential elections are to be held in the country next month. As a candidate in this election, the discussion of JDU chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is in full swing. Discussions also seem to be taking place from his party’s side. Some party leaders are asking him to make him a candidate, while some are calling it just speculation. This yes-no is being told as JDU’s strategy against BJP.
In the last four months, JD(U) has named Nitish Kumar several times as a possible candidate for the post of President of India. Then it has been rejected many times. In February, Nitish Kumar had met election strategist Prashant Kishor in Delhi, after which Nitish’s name started being discussed. Then senior party leader KC Tyagi had said- “If this happens, it will be a great honor for JDU and Bihar”.
However, after this Nitish himself came forward and rejected his candidature. After this, when the program of presidential elections was announced recently, again a camp of JDU started raising the name of Nitish. Shravan Kumar, a minister in the Bihar government and considered to be Nitish’s special, told a TV channel- “Nitish Kumar’s parliamentary and legislative career has been excellent. He can be a good candidate for the post of President of India. If that happens we will all be very proud. It will be a matter of pride for Bihar also”.
After this, on Saturday, another JDU minister Sanjay Kumar Jha rejected it and said that Nitish Kumar has got the mandate to serve Bihar till 2025. He will remain in Bihar only. Apart from this, the party’s national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh also termed it as just a rumour.
There is discussion in the political circles whether this is part of the strategy of JDU, which first proposes Nitish’s name for the post of President and then withdraws it. The question is also whether such a statement can be issued in JDU without Nitish’s approval?
It seems that this is a strategy of JDU to put pressure on the BJP. Nitish has already pushed BJP back on the proposal of caste census. JD(U) knows that BJP will need significant votes of its party for its presidential candidate. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has met Nitish in Patna last month to discuss the issue.
Although JDU may also know that BJP will never make Nitish its presidential candidate. Because it is a very important post on which BJP cannot afford to appoint a person who may disagree with him and Nitish has differed from BJP on many issues, once with Congress .
On the other hand, BJP knows that if Nitish reaches Delhi, then JDU’s support base in the state will end, as no leader of his stature is visible as Nitish’s successor. On the other hand, JDU is trying to put pressure on BJP on the pretext of this election because it knows that BJP does not have big allies and BJP cannot anger its biggest ally JDU. Apart from this, BJP is feeling that if Nitish is sent to Delhi as President and he makes his CM, then BJP may fail to keep JDU united. Which can benefit RJD.