Patna, Aug. 8: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today opted himself out of the NDA’s prime ministerial shortlist but felt a name is necessary to be announced before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

“Our party’s stand on the issue is clear. The largest constituent of the alliance formation should head the government. It offers both stability and effectiveness to the government,” he said. On Bal Thackeray’s comments that BJP veteran L.K. Advani’s blog was a result of Nitish Kumar vs Narendra Modi, the JD(U) leader said the Shiv Sena chief may have drawn an inference: “I am not in the picture.”

Reacting to Advani’s blog on a “non-BJP and non-Congress PM”, Nitish said that he had read the article. “I think Advaniji’s blog on the issue has been interpreted in parts by the media. The issue should be seen in the whole context. Advaniji is one of the most misunderstood political leaders of the country,” he said, adding that Advaniji had actually said governments led by smaller parties at the Centre are instable. “Advaniji has cited examples of H.D. Deve Gowda, Chandrashekhar and Charan Singh. The ninth Lok Sabha even saw two governments falling within a span of 30 months,” he said.

He said that there was no contradiction within the JD(U) over Advani’s views. “Both Sharad Yadav and Shivanand Tiwari have agreed that Advaniji had interpreted the political situation with his vast experience in public life over decades.” Nitish said that he agreed with Advani in his political analysis. “The popularity of the UPA has gone down and the NDA has gained. The NDA has a bright chance of forming the government at the Centre; there is no possibility of the present regime regaining power,” he said, iterating that the coalition era at the Centre would continue and that the largest party of the alliance would lead the government. He, however, conceded that the NDA would require more allies. “I have made my stand clear on this,” he said.

He, however, stressed that he would only make his stand on his choice of the prime ministerial candidate at the NDA meeting. “BJP president Nitin Gadkari has said that the views of the allies would be taken before announcing the NDA’s candidate for the Prime Minister. But I will not comment on this now,” he said. Nitish, however, stuck to his stand that the candidate should be announced before the elections. He said that it helps alliances if they name their PM candidate in advance. “It also helps the people to decide,” he said.