Lalu again appeals to Nitish to reconsider decision on Kovind

Patna, Jun 23: RJD chief Lalu Prasad again 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), Prasad 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," Prasad told reporters on his arrival at the Jayprakash Narayan Airport at Patna from New Delhi.

The RJD president, however, made it clear that the divergent paths taken by his party and the JD(U) would have no impact on the Grand Alliance government in Bihar headed by Kumar. "There will be no impact of this (different views of the RJD and the JD(U)) on the Grand Alliance government in the future," Prasad said. Bihar JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh repeated the party's decision to support Kovind and made it clear that there was no going back on it.

"Kovind as governor of Bihar walked hand-in-hand with the state government on the path of development... he has displayed attachment with Bihar," Singh said. His party colleague Shyam Rajak echoed similar views. "Hum logo ne thok-baja ke faisla liya hain (we have taken a decision after meticulously taking everything into account)," Rajak told PTI. Rajak is deputy leader in the state assembly and a member of the JD(U) core committee which decided on Tuesday to support Kovind.

Meanwhile, Congress minister Abdul Jalil Mastan described Kovind as "a Shiv Sena man" who harboured hardcore Hinduavta ideology. "He is a Shiv Sena man harbouring hardcore hinduvta ideology... how can he be a clean man?" Mastan argued.

Later in the evening, Kumar visited Prasad's residence to attend an Iftar party where he was warmly greeted by the host and Deputy Chief Minister Tejawsi Yadav. "This is not the occasion to speak on such subjects," Prasad told media persons on queries if he had talks with Kumar.

Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti, a Rajya Sabha member, said talks were held between the two leaders, but refused to divulge the details. After spending nearly half-an-hour, Kumar left the venue. He embraced Prasad before quietly leaving the place.

PTI