Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 09:05 AM IST
Sonia Gandhi in damage control mode, calls up Nitish Kumar
Sources said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is also likely to meet Mr Kumar around July 22 or 23.
New Delhi: As Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar mounted pressure on his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to quit, the Congress, which is the third alliance partner in the state government, moved in swiftly for some damage control. Congress President Sonia Gandhi used the opportunity to call Mr Kumar on Wednesday morning to thank him for his support to Opposition vice-presidential candidate Gopal Gandhi. Sources said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is also likely to meet Mr Kumar around July 22 or 23.
Rahul Gandhi had sought a meeting with Mr Kumar when he had called him on Tuesday night after the 18-party conglomerate chose Gopal Gandhi as its V-P candidate. The JD(U)’s support for the V-P candidate was significant as the Bihar chief minister had broken ranks and supported the NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.
The JD(U) has, however, since then maintained that the support for Mr Kovind was a one-time affair and could not be seen as a precedent for things to come.
Congress sources said that there was no threat to the “mahagathbandhan” government in Bihar as of now as Mr Kumar’s pressure on the Yadavs is a mere stand taken to protect his clean image. JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi told this newspaper: “It is Nitish Kumar’s image which places him on a pedestal almost similar to that as Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If we dilute that image, then the BJP will have its own way in Bihar also. So we will not let the chief minister’s image suffer.”
On Tuesday, Mr Kumar had virtually put the RJD on notice asking the Yadavs to explain their stance on the charges against them by various central agencies. The Congress has, however, been solidly behind the Yadavs till now.
A senior Congress leader told this newspaper that the party considered Mr Yadav its oldest ally and would not put any pressure on him. He said that as far as FIRs were concerned, many cases have been filed against several leaders. “Going by this logic, there are at least five BJP ministers, including Union Minister Uma Bharti who should be asked to quit,” he said.
Both JD(U) and Congress sources maintained that there was no immediate threat to the government as of now.
