Congress’s Bihar chief says Rahul Gandhi remains their prime ministerial nominee

This comes amid speculation that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar could emerge as the probable face of Opposition parties for the country’s top post

Congress’s Bihar unit chief Madan Mohan Jha has said that there is no change in their stand that Rahul Gandhi is the party’s prime ministerial candidate amid speculation that chief minister Nitish Kumar could emerge as the probable face of Opposition parties for the country’s top post.

Rahul Gandhi during a protest in New Delhi. (Hindustan Times)

The speculation was fuelled after Kumar ended his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and formed the government in Bihar in alliance with Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Left parties this month.

“We believe he [Rahul Gandhi] is the candidate until he puts forward somebody else’s candidature. Leaders and workers of the parties make optimistic claims and some even shout slogans in favour of their leaders. But ...Nitish Kumar has never expressed his willingness to be the prime ministerial candidate,” said Jha on Thursday.

Upendra Kushwaha, a leader of Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), has said the Bihar chief minister has the qualifications to become the prime minister even as he has not ever spoken about any such ambition.