Nitish Kumar, the Bihar CM said he supports a second term for Pranab Mukherjee. He said that it is the best ‘idea’ to re-elect Mukherjee as the President. Nitish also asked the Narendra Modi led government to talk to the opposition and try for a consensus candidate for the post.
He said, “It’s the responsibility of the ruling party at the Centre to contact all opposition parties and try to build a consensus on the presidential candidate. If there is no such effort by the ruling party, the opposition will have no option but to field their joint candidate for the President’s post.”
Nitish also said that he was was not a claimant for the PM’s post in 2019 general election. He also said that he led a ‘chhoti-moti’ (relatively small) political party. He said, “We have a ‘chhoti-moti’ party. That is why I am being targeted. I have been given the mandate for leading the grand alliance government in Bihar. I am not a claimant for the PM’s post in 2019.” It also has been said that this is a time and tested way of gaining political attention. Nitish also said that he did not possess the ‘capability to become PM’.
He also said people questioned his national aspirations after he took over as the JD(U) president. Nitish asked, “Sharad (Yadav)-ji was the JD (U) president for three consecutive terms. As per the party’s constitution, he could not have continued for the fourth term. That is why I became the president. Does it mean I have national aspirations?”
Nitish also said that he does not nurture any aspirations of becoming the PM. He also said that the next PM will be someone that the nation deems to be fit for the position.
