Would have supported Opposition if they nominated 'non-Congress' Presidential nominee: JD (U)

After the Opposition came down heavily on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for supporting National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, the Janata Dal (United) on Monday said they wanted the Opposition to nominate a non-congress person for the post of president.

JD (U) leader K.C. Tyagi told ANI that most of the Opposition parties wanted to nominate someone who doesn't belong to the Congress Party for the post of president, but the Congress Party didn't agree to it.

"As per the discussion we had with the leftist party in Chennai, Gopal Krishna Gandhi had to be the presidential candidate. It was just because of the Congress party's stubborn attitude and insistence this could not take place," said Tyagi.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad targeting Nitish, said people who believe in one principle, make one decision, but those who believe in many principles, make different decisions.

"He (Nitish) was the first one who decided to defeat Bihar's Dalit daughter, not us," Azad said in a reply to Bihar Chief Minister's statement that his party was free to take its decisions, and admonished the opposition alliance for fielding "Bihar ki beti" (Bihar's daughter) Meira Kumar to lose.

Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind is set to be India's 14th president with the Bharatiya Janata Party announcing the little-known Dalit activist as its nominee for the country's top constitutional job.

Nitish Kumar had termed the opposition's stance as "losing strategy" and called for a better strategy for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential nominee Kovind will visit Srinagar on June 28 as part of the ongoing campaign, seeking support from its alliance partner, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Kovind will be accompanied by Union Ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Jitendra Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) general secretary and party in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav.

Kovind, along with leaders, would meet the BJP and the PDP members of parliament to seek their support.

Yesterday, Kovind met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, after filing his nomination papers to seek support from BJP MPs and MLAs for the presidential post.

The nomination process for the presidential elections will continue till June 28.

The election for the next President of India is to be held on July 17, as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 24. (ANI)