Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was an icon of opposition unity. Before the assembly elections that he fought in the company of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and the Congress, he had struggled to bring feuding leaders on to the same table. A few months ago, at the launch of a book by former finance minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram, Nitish had shared the dais with left leader Sitaram Yechury. Even before the discussion on the book and politics was formally launched, Nitish called for opposition unity without any reference to the crucial Uttar Pradesh and four other assembly elections. He even urged Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who was sitting in the front row, next to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, to take the initiative and make opposition unity a reality.
Even as recently as a week ago, he was with the Congress, the left and other non-BJP parties as they tossed around names of presidential candidates which were acceptable to them. But within an hour of the BJP president Amit Shah announcing the name of Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as the NDA's presidential candidate, Nitish Kumar had made up his mind. JD(U) leader Dinesh Prasad Singh said, "Nitish has always been a clean politician. He continues to stand for opposition unity. But he also supports the candidature of Kovind, with whom he has good relations as chief minister."
Sources in Patna also point out that Nitish Kumar voted for Pranab Mukherjee as president even though he was part of NDA, which fielded candidate A.Sangma. They insist that there will be many issues in which the opposition will need to unite, and Nitish Kumar will be there, leading from the front.
But more important is the fact that Nitish Kumar is the original creator of the idea that has come to be called the Mahadalit (referring to the highly marginalised Scheduled Castes sections in Bihar). It is hardly surprising that if he had to choose between his perception as a supporter of opposition unity or a champion of the Mahadalit, he would choose the latter.
His meeting others in the party before announcing support to Kovind was a mere formality. "It is a matter of pride for us to have the governor of Bihar become the president" said a leader, pointing out that in any case, "Kovind is going to be the next president. Rather than back someone who is not going to make it to that high office, just to participate in a contest for the sake of a contest, should we undermine our presidential elections?" asked a party office-bearer in Patna.
It is believed that Nitish has spoken his mind to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is slated to meet other opposition leaders on Thursday. It is also presumed that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati will go along with Kovind for president, because "he is a Dalit, and his name came up first", according to a JD(U) source. But JD(U) has not canvassed BSP support for Kovind.
Interestingly, it is only Kovind, and not Modi-Shah, who are being supported by JD(U) and other parties backing him. While there will be a contest, it will be no more than a token one, given the winner's name is already out there.
