NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is planning a big show of strength in the national capital by holding the national executive meeting of the Janata Dal (United) on December 29 where he is likely to take over as party president from incumbent Lalan Singh.
Sources said Nitish plans to aggressively play the backward card as the head of his party and position himself as the top backward leader of the INDIA bloc. Party leaders said a message will be sent to INDIA from the meeting that the JD(U) is keeping its options open and watching closely how Nitish is being treated.
JD(U) leaders consider Nitish as the architect of the INDIA alliance. It was he who had persuaded West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee against going with her then Telangana counterpart and Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekhar Rao to form a third front. Mamata had then convinced Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal to join the Opposition group, now known as INDIA. Nitish had travelled across the country to bring non-BJP leaders on one platform.
Nitish was certain that the allies would reward him by making him INDIA convenor. That has not happened. Much to his surprise, the two leaders who were opposed to partnering with the Congress — Kejriwal and Mamata — have now suggested Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as INDIA bloc’s candidate for the post of prime minister.
The Delhi meet aims to pressure INDIA leaders to value the centrality of his role in the formation of the group and give him a leadership position. According to sources, Nitish’s feelings have already been conveyed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. JD(U) sources said Nitish’s name as party head will be proposed as the national executive committee meet. Once approved, the national council will ratify it.
