To some extent, the Congress got its own back today - it led the opposition's decision to put up former Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit from Nitish Kumar's state of Bihar, as its candidate. That makes things awkward for Nitish Kumar, who chose to back the BJP's Ram Nath Kovind, who is also a Dalit and the former Governor of Bihar.

The Congress in Bihar has asked Nitish Kumar today to change his mind; his party has indicated it remains committed to the rival BJP candidate.

That extends the lease on the growing distance between Nitish Kumar and his allies.


"I had initially said Kovind was connected to RSS and BJP ideologies. I had also said that a non-Dalit would've been a better NDA candidate. After the BJP and NDA's one-sided decision, the opposition parties called for a meeting, Today, UPA and others have unaniomously chose Meira Kumar who comes from a Dalit background, " Mayawati tells at a press conference