Nitish congratulates President-elect Kovind

Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, July 20

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar congratulated President-elect Ram Nath Kovind on his presidential victory on Thursday.

Away from grand alliance Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) had voted to Kovind, a former Bihar governor, even as other parties of the alliance, including Congress and RJD, voted in favour of Meira Kumar, Opposition's presidential nominee.

Soon after Kovind was made NDA's presidential pick, Nitish Kumar had announced that JD-U would support Kovind as his relationship with Bihar government had been very cordial during his tenure as governor.

Over Opposition's presidential pick Meira Kumar being projected as 'Bihar Ki Beti', Nitish Kumar had said she was made candidate to lose. His prediction proved true today as Kovind was declared winner of Presidential election.

Other allies of grand alliance Congress and RJD escalated their pressure against Nitish Kumar who refused to change his stand on Kovind's support. RJD chief Lalu Prasad had even attacked on Nitish saying over his decision as "historic blunder".

After Nitish Kumar's decision to support Kovind, a war of words triggered among allies of grand alliance shaking the roots of Bihar's ruling coalition.

By supporting NDA's presidential candidate, Nitish Kumar punctured Opposition’s claims of being united against BJP. Nitish had voted for UPA's presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee even when he was with NDA.