BJP masterstroke: Kovind as president face has left opponents in Catch-22

Several in the Opposition believe they shouldn't expend political capital in this fight

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said his party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), will support Ram Nath Kovind, the presidential nominee of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. The Biju Janata Dal isn’t part of the ‘united’ Opposition that comprises 17 parties. But some other constituents of this 17 parties front averse to putting up a joint Opposition candidate against Kovind.

These leaders argue the result of the presidential poll is a foregone conclusion, with NDA likely to muster more than 60 per cent of the electoral college votes in favour of Kovind. Their assessment is that the