It was a late-night decision by Congress to support Nitish for a 'secular' cause

The high profile Congress Core Committee set the stage for sudden decision change to vote for JD (U) govt in Bihar Assembly

It was a late night decision of the high profile Congress Core committee in New Delhi that set the stage for the sudden change of decision by the Congress party – to vote for the Nitish Kumar led JD(U) government in Bihar and not abstain from voting.

For most of yesterday, the view that emanated from the Congress headquarters was that Congress while supporting the secular cause would abstain from voting. However, the Congress did a re-think on its stand, it appears after Bihar Congress PCC chief Ashok Chaudhry met the Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the capital in the morning apprising her of the political situation, after which he met the newly appointed AICC in charge of the state PC Joshi.   

It was to decide the stand to be taken by the four Congress MLAs in the trust vote in the Bihar assembly today that the Core group suddenly met late last night. The decision was conveyed to the CLP leader in Bihar and the four MLAs only this morning, directing them to vote in favour of the Nitish Kumar government.

The Congress did a re-think after it was briefed that strengthening Nitish Kumar at this stage would be a message that it was supporting the secular cause. “Since the margin was so tight, if the Nitish Kumar government was to fall, then it would only strengthen the BJP,” said a senior Congress leader.

What also prompted the Congress to do a re- think was the fact that “It was not the Congress which had changed its stand as far as Narendra Modi and the BJP is concerned but it is Nishit Kumar which has changed his stand. And the Congress must be seen to be supporting a secular person.”

It was PM Manmohan Singh who had set the tone with his statement on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony on Monday. He had said that Nitish Kumar is a secular person.  “There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. The situation evolves... he (Nitish) is a secular leader.”

 The Congress however has declined that its support for the trust vote be interpreted as a future alliance with the JD(U) in Bihar. Laloo Prasad’s RJD has been waiting in the wings to ally with the Congress inn the state.

A Congressman in the know of things said, “It’s too premature, why should we reveal our cards now. Lets see how the JD(U) and the RJD behave in the next few months, then we can take a call on the alliance.”  

After all both the RJD and the JD(U) have known to take anti- Congress stance when it suited them.

Talking to reporters, party spokesman P C Chacko said, "We have supported the Nitish Kumar government in view of the BJP's desire to pull it down ... To thwart the communal forces... It is not a prelude to a future alliance."