Opposition unity falters as parties back Ram Nath Kovind's candidature

In the coming days, more parties are likely to extend their support to the NDA candidate

The Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), is likely to vote for the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA’s) candidate, Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar Governor and Dalit leader, for the presidential election.
 
The party is in power, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in Bihar. Its support for the NDA candidate would compromise the unity of the 17 Opposition parties.
 
On Monday, after the NDA announced Kovind’s candidature Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had said his performance as the state’s governor was “exemplary”.
 

Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury tried to reason with him on Tuesday, but sources in JD(U) said the party was likely to announce its decision after its core committee meeting in Patna on Wednesday.

 
“The CM has spoken to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad to convey our view,” JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said. He, however, did not confirm that the party would support Kovind’s candidature.
 
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also flew to Patna to attend an iftar party hosted by Lalu Prasad.
 
In Uttar Pradesh, Kovind’s home state, also winds of change seemed to be blowing. Samajwadi Party (SP) sources said they were rethinking if they should support a common Opposition candidate; some in the party were of the opinion that it would be a good decision to support Kovind.

 
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), with its large support base among the Dalits, has announced its support for Kovind.
 
The BJP got another shot in the arm with ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday announcing its support for Kovind. This is likely to put pressure on other parties in Maharashtra, especially the Nationalist Congress Party to support Kovind. This also throws a spanner in the plan of the Opposition to get Shiv Sena’s support by fielding B R Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar as the presidential candidate.
 
In the coming days, more Opposition parties are likely to extend their support to the NDA candidate.

 
Union Housing Minister M Venkaiah Naidu met Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala, who according to sources, had responded positively. Naidu also reached out to former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Deve Gowda and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s M K Stalin.  NCP, JD(U), JD(S) and DMK had attended the lunch hosted for 17 Opposition parties on May 26 by Sonia Gandhi.
 
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already committed the support of his party, Biju Janata Dal, to Kovind. His party isn’t part of the 17-party combine.
 
Patnaik is also likely to attend Kovind’s nomination filing on June 23; Naidu phoned to invite him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will also be present. Naidu has also requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisami to attend.

 
Other non-NDA parties who had already supported Kovind are All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and YSR Congress Party.
 
In Lucknow, Modi will reach out to Opposition leaders of the state at a dinner hosted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the eve of the International Day of Yoga. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati have been invited. Singh has already expressed support of Kovind.
 
The Congress, meanwhile, has to rethink on whom they want as a candidate — former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar or someone else such as former home minister and Dalit leader Sushilkumar Shinde. Some are also of the opinion that they should support agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, to highlight the plight of farmers under the NDA government.

 
While the Left parties still want to put up a symbolic fight, some Opposition parties are of the opinion that they should not waste their political capital on the issue as the result of the election is foregone, with NDA and its supporters likely to get votes from 60 per cent of the electoral college.