Meira Kumar has no plans to meet Nitish during Bihar trip

Patna, July 4: Meira Kumar, opposition's nominee for the presidential election, has no plans to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during her tour of the state on July 6, state Congress chief Ashok Choudhary said.

Kumar will, however, interact with RJD and Congress legislators and parliamentarians to canvass support for her presidential bid. Giving details of Kumar's Bihar visit, Choudhary said she will have a joint interaction with Congress and RJD legislators and parliamentarians on July 6.

Next day, she will visit her native Chandwa village on the outskirts of Bhojpur district, the Congress leader said. Kumar is the daughter of dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram. The Bihar Congress chief said there is no programme of Meira Kumar meeting the Bihar chief minister.

"When he (Nitish) has already made up his mind on the Presidential poll, what is the point in meeting him?" said Choudhary, who is the state education minister. Kumar will interact with mediapersons on July 8 before leaving for Jharkhand, he added.

This will be the maiden visit of Kumar to her home state after being chosen as the opposition's candidate in the Presidential poll against NDA's Ram Nath Kovind.

Kumar has already been portrayed by her party and others as 'Bihar ki Beti' (daughter of Bihar) to target Nitish Kumar for breaking the ranks of non-BJP parties and announcing JD (U)'s support to former Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind.

While senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has criticised the Bihar chief minister's decision, RJD president Lalu Prasad has described it as Nitish's "Himalayan blunder".

PTI