NCP for Nitish Kumar as President candidate, if he dumps BJP

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 22

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday said the larger Opposition would be open to fielding Nitish Kumar as its candidate for the President’s election later this year, provided the Bihar Chief Minister sever ties with the BJP.

Opposition united

• Nitish Kumar’s JDU is part of the ruling NDA alliance with BJP in Bihar
• NCP’s Nawab Malik says any decision on President’s election will be taken by entire Oppn

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik today said, “There cannot be a discussion on the issue of Nitish Kumar being the Presidential candidate till the time he breaks ties with the BJP. First, he should end his alliance with the BJP. Only then, a thought can be given to the matter of his candidature and leaders of all Opposition parties can sit together and consider thus.”

Nitish Kumar’s JDU is currently part of the ruling NDA alliance with the BJP in Bihar.

Malik also said any decision on the issue of the President’s election would be taken collectively by the entire opposition.

He said the BJP would lose electoral turf once the current election cycle was over and results declared on March 10.

“The BJP will be restricted to less than 150 in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly. It will also face a drubbing in Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand,” the NCP leader said.

He added that the non-BJP Opposition alliance would gain strength in the coming days with the momentum already up following Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s recent meetings with the leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), including the Shiv Sena and NCP.

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