Congress leader, Kishore Chandra Deo has accused CM Nitish Kumar of showing his support for Ram Nath Kovind which ultimately will dilute the Congress anti-BJP plank and nationwide standing. Even the former AICC general secretary allegedly said that Nitish Kumar is being supported by few Congress people who get well with BJP leaders to avoid any political fights. On one hand, he criticised JDU for stating that their alliance with Congress is limited till Bihar only. On another hand, he praised Mamta Banerjee for holding on to her own ideologies and for not being afraid of the threats mounted by Centre and BJP.
Deo pointed out that JDU supported Ram Nath Kovind when 17 opposition parties had a strategy of using the presidential poll as a platform to show their agitation against Centre over a number of issues. He said that Congress is a national party and it holds an anti-BJP plank with which it cannot compromise. He accused Kumar of using the strategy of having his own ideologies when he wanted to have JDU-RJD-Congress alliance and now he is using the same strategy. According to Deo, Nitish Kumar is just playing a game of compromising with ideologies but Congress cannot do the same and overlook Nitish’s stand. Otherwise, it will create a confusion and disappointment amongst the supports of Congress. According to him, Congress needs to draw a firm line of political ideologies and principles.
He lastly compared Nitish Kumar with those regional leaders who talk about quasi-federalism but believes in quasi-centralism in Modi’s regime.
Congress is not ready to accommodate the opportunistic compromises of Nitish Kumar.