Bihar CM Nitish Kumar can be presidential candidate if he parts with BJP: NCP's Nawab Malik

NCP chief spokesman and minister of minority affairs Nawab Malik on Tuesday said any decision on the opposition's candidate for the post of the country's next President will be taken collectively by various parties.

“Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's name could be considered only if his party JD(U) snaps ties with the BJP,’’ he under scored. Malik further said there are "news reports of Nitish Kumar being the (opposition's) candidate for the presidential polls" due later this year. "There cannot be a discussion on this until he (Nitish Kumar) breaks ties with the BJP. First, he should snap ties with the BJP and only then thought can be given to his candidature.

Leaders of all opposition parties will then sit together and think about it," Malik told. The JD(U) currently shares power with the BJP in Bihar. However, Nitish Kumar said that he had no thought of contesting the Presidential elections.

"I don't know how such rumours come out in public. I never thought of contesting the election for the Presidential post," he said while reaching Bhagalpur to restart the 'Samaj Sudhar Abhiyan (Social Reforms Campaign)'.The rumours regarding Nitish Kumar vying for the country's top post came out after he met prominent political strategist Prashant Kishor in Delhi last week.