Speculations are rife in political spectrum that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may be the presidential candidate of the Opposition parties for which election is likely to take place in July-August. Mr. Kumar, though, has dismissed any such “thought” over it.
The buzz in political circles in Bihar is that poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who was earlier next to Mr. Kumar in the Janata Dal (United), and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao have started exploring such possibility for Mr. Kumar by holding several meetings with other Opposition parties. Mr. Kishor had a long meeting with the Bihar Chief Minister on February 21 in Delhi, though both had called it a “courtesy” call. Mr. Kishor had also met Mr. Rao in Hyderabad this month. Earlier, the Telangana Chief Minister had a surprise meeting with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav in Hyderabad.
Besides, Mr. Rao recently held meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar as part of their strategy to bring together like-minded parties against the BJP and the Congress.
