Chief minister Nitish Kumar at painter Anandi Prasad Badal’s exhibition at the College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, on Thursday. (PTI)

Patna, July 12: Nitish Kumar today said the JD(U) had so far not taken a decision on the vice-presidential candidate but has authorised national party president Sharad Yadav to “hold consultations” with the NDA partners and others on the issue.

The Bihar chief minister’s approach on who the next Vice-President should be is at variance with what he adopted during the presidential nominations. At the outset, Nitish had stated that he wanted Rashtrapati Bhavan’s occupant by consensus and worked behind-the-scenes to get his ally, the BJP, to agree on Pranab Mukherjee.

Nitish eventually stuck to his guns and announced his party’s preference for Mukherjee, breaking ranks with his ally, which decided to back Purno A. Sangma, a candidate propped up by Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik.

JD(U) insiders, who spoke on condition they wouldn’t be identified, furnished two broad reasons for Nitish keeping his cards close to his chest on the vice-presidential election, scheduled for August. First, though the Congress is believed to be building consensus around giving the present incumbent, Hamid Ansari, a second term, it is yet to declare a candidate.

Second, the BJP too has not come out with any proposal. “What is clear is that the JD(U) does not command the numerical strength to put up its own candidate. Nitishji is not in a hurry. He has time in hand to wait and watch how the situation unfolds,” said a senior party leader.

Moreover, Nitish, said an aide close to the chief minister, would like the BJP — the leader of the NDA — to come out with a proposal first. “Honestly speaking, Nitish wants the BJP to come out with a proposal on the issue first. Earlier also, the BJP, which is the largest partner in the NDA at the national level, has come out with its proposal on important issues. Nitish is open to proper dialogue this time,” said the aide.

The mistrust between the NDA allies in Bihar has grown ever since it became clear that they would vote against each other during the presidential polls, scheduled for July 19. “Nitish does not want to send the message that he is the wrecker-in-chief of the alliance by speaking his mind before the NDA and UPA officially declared their preferences,” said a senior leader.

The aide indicated that Nitish, who has consciously cultivated a secular image, “may not be averse” to supporting Ansari for a second term. “Ansari is a Muslim and that fits into the JD(U)’s scheme of things. Nitish has assiduously worked hard to consolidate the Muslims behind the JD(U),” said the leader. “Supporting Ansari will be immensely beneficial in the event of a split between the JD(U) and BJP,” he pointed out as an afterthought.

Sharad Yadav, the JD(U)’s national president, too was guarded when contacted over phone. “The JD(U) has taken no decision on the issue of the Vice-President,” he said.

Sources said the party spokesmen in the state and in Delhi have been warned against speaking on the vice-presidential election at this stage. The UPA is scheduled to meet on the issue on Saturday. “The NDA leaders too will sit and discuss the issue,” said a senior BJP leader, adding, “Concentrate on the presidential poll first.”