Next President of India: Nitish Kumar to skip meeting of anti-NDA parties tomorrow

Reports say Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not attend the crucial meeting of the Opposition to select a common candidate for the presidential polls.

New Delhi, May 25: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is unlikely to attend a meeting of the Opposition on the presidential polls scheduled in the national capital on Friday.

The meeting has been called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to decide on a consensus candidate to be jointly fielded by the anti-NDA parties for the polls.

According to reports, Ahmed Patel, the political secretary of Congress president, called up Kumar on Tuesday to invite him to the Opposition meeting. But, Kumar declined the invitation and said he would send a representative.

Confirming the news of Kumar skipping the crucial meeting, Janata Dal (United) spokesperson KC Tyagi told The Telegraph, "Ahmed Patel called Nitishji yesterday but he will not attend the meeting called by Soniaji on May 26. Nitishji met the Congress chief in Delhi a few days ago and has already communicated to Soniaji what he wanted to over the presidential polls."

The term of President Pranab Mukherjee is ending in July and thus the Opposition is trying its best to find a common ground in deciding the name of a person to be fielded as their candidate for the crucial polls.

Kumar had earlier supported second-term for Mukherjee as the country's president. But it seems many in the anti-NDA parties, including the Congress, want a different person as their presidential nominee.

The Bihar CM's decision not to attend the meeting is seen by many as the division within the Opposition to fight the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

OneIndia News