NEW DELHI: As the battle for 2024 heats up, the Opposition alliance INDIA is likely to name Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar as its national convener, according to sources. Congress sources told this newspaper that the party has reached out to the Bihar CM in a bid to pacify the sulking leader and a decision will be announced soon.
Senior Congress leaders including Salman Khurshid were in touch with Nitish and other alliance partners also backed the idea of making the Bihar leader the convenor of the bloc. Last week, Rahul Gandhi had also reached out to Nitish, said a party leader. When asked if the convener will become an automatic candidate for prime minister, the leader said, “There is no precondition that the convener will become the PM. The party with more seats can claim the post.”
There were reports that Nitish was upset after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal proposed Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s name as the bloc’s PM face at the INDIA bloc meeting last month.
Speculation was also rife that the JD(U) may return to the NDA fold after Nitish was elected the president of the party last week. However, the party dismissed such rumours asserting that Nitish will lead seat-sharing talks with the 28-party bloc and lead the campaign across the country.