Opposition meet on vice-presidential poll tomorrow; Nitish to skip

Around 18 non-NDA parties are expected to attend Tuesday's meeting convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Parliament Library.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to give a miss to the opposition's meeting scheduled on Tuesday to discuss the vice-presidential election amid ongoing tension with alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Kumar's decision to stay back in Patna, where he has called a meeting of his party's lawmakers, indicate that he is not keen to hold a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over Bihar affairs, reports Hindustan Times.

Kumar has already expressed his to support the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential election to be held on July 17.

Reports say that his absence in the opposition's meeting on the vice-presidential election also indicates that he may prefer to side himself with the ruling dispensation.

The elections to choose the next vice-president will be held on August 5. The contest is heavily stacked in favour of the ruling dispensation which has a majority of around 550 votes out of a total of 790 members of both Houses of Parliament, who comprise the electoral college for the election.

Around 18 non-NDA parties are expected to attend Tuesday's meeting convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Parliament Library. The party's Vice President Rahul Gandhi besides a host of leaders from other parties like the NCP, RJD, Left, TMC, SP, BSP, DMK and other smaller parties are also likely to attend.

(With agency inputs)