Nitish Kumar to skip opposition meet on Vice Presidential candidate

In another jolt to efforts to mend opposition unity and put up a joint candidate for vice-president, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has decided to skip a meeting called by non-NDA parties on Tuesday. He had similarly given a miss to a meeting to discuss the opposition presidential nominee last month.

The CM is reported to be still recovering from a viral infection, though political circles are seeing his current silence in political light. Significantly, a meeting of the JD(U) organisation, which will include state legislators and MPs, has been scheduled for Tuesday in Patna.

The CM has so far offered no comment on the CBI registering a case against his ally, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, and Lalu's family members. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar -who has decided to skip Tuesday's meeting of non-NDA parties to pick the vice-presidential candidate -is reported to be unwell and is unlikely to make any public comments on Monday , though he returned to the state capital on Sunday from Rajgir, where his aides said he was resting. He had left Patna around the time opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar reached the city.

The JD(U) leader's actions are being watched closely as his decision to back NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind took the wind out of the opposition's attempts to put up a "united" front. The slew of corruption allegations against Lalu and the CBI and ED raids on the RJD leader's family have created a strong rift in the ruling JD(U)-RJD-Congress coalition. While his absence at the opposition meeting will be noted, Nitish could still depute a senior MP to attend.

The possibility of Lalu's son and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav being named in a chargesheet has raised the possibility of Nitish having to decide whether he should remain in the cabinet. The developments have created buzz about Nitish realigning with BJP.