New Delhi: A day after the Janata Dal (United) - a key ally of Bharatiya Janata Party - made it loud and clear that it will not support Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the NDA's prime ministerial candidate, it is set to further press its demand in its resolution which will be passed on the second day of the JD(U) National Executive Meeting on Sunday.
The party in its political resolution is likely to stress on a PM candidate who has impeccable secular credentials. Sources told CNN-IBN that JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conveyed his party's compulsions to BJP chief Rajnath Singh during their meeting on Saturday evening. Nitish told Rajnath that the projection of Modi as NDA's PM candidate will lead to polarisation of votes and that it will shift minority votes away from JD(U), added sources.
Rajnath in turn reportedly promised to discuss Nitish's points with the BJP and revert back. At its crucial meet in Delhi on Saturday, the JD(U) took on Modi saying he failed to tackle the 2002 Gujarat riots. Nitish also met senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday.
The JD(U) is also likely to insist on Sunday that the BJP declare NDA's PM candidate before the Lok Sabha elections. The party, although not in many words, also alluded its support to former deputy PM and BJP patriarch LK Advani. "We have earlier fought elections under LK Advani, how can we change our view now?" said JD(U) General Secretary KC Tyagi.
The political fineprint though will be spelt out by Nitish himself in the valedictory address on Sunday, the party seems clear on one count though. The JD(U) knows that its immediate exit from the NDA would help Modi the most and therefore 'wait and keep the pressure on BJP' seems to be its strategy. It suits both Nitish and the opposition to Modi within the BJP.
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