Rahul, Sonia patch up with Nitish as oppn vets Gopal Gandhi as VP nominee

Relations had soured between the Gandhis and Nitish after the Bihar CM extended support to Kovind

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday phoned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to thank him for supporting Gopalkrishna Gandhi as the opposition's vice presidential candidate, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said.

Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president, also received a phone call from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi last evening, Tyagi told PTI.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the unanimous choice of 18 opposition parties for vice president, called Kumar as well to express his thanks, the JD(U) chief general secretary said.

JD(U) parliamentary leader Sharad Yadav represented the party at the meeting of opposition leaders that picked on the former West Bengal governor as its vice presidential nominee in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi had recently intervened to end the war of words between the Congress and the JD(U) in the wake of Nitish Kumar breaking away from the opposition to support NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.