June 22: The Opposition today decided to field former Speaker Meira Kumar as its candidate for President, posing a bigger challenge to Nitish Kumar than the NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

The Bihar chief minister has already pledged his party's support to Kovind, citing his spotless record as the governor of the state.

But the choice of Meira - she hails from Nitish's home state and her public life and professional accomplishments are far better known than that of Kovind - has thrown up a tricky turn for the Janata Dal United leader to negotiate.

Lalu Prasad, whose MLAs are keeping Nitish in power in Bihar, rubbed it in today in New Delhi. He asked Nitish not to make a "historic blunder" by supporting Kovind and issued a public appeal to the chief minister to back " Bihar ki beti" Meira.

"I appeal to Nitish to avoid the historic blunder. He should reconsider his position. I will meet him tomorrow at my iftaar and talk to him. I will appeal to him a hundred times," Lalu Prasad said. "We always fought for ideology. I hope Nitish will now reconsider his decision and support Bihar ki beti. She is the daughter of the great Jagjivan Ram."

Asked if Nitish had betrayed the Opposition, Lalu Prasad said: " Dhokha hai ya nahi, ye Nitish jaane (whether it is betrayal or not, is for Nitish to decide)."

JDU leader K.C. Tyagi said: "We decided to support Kovind after considering all aspects. Decisions aren't changed just like that."

But another JDU leader in Patna said: "Laluji has never made such a strong public statement on Nitish ever since the alliance was formed before the last Assembly polls."

The Bihar Congress followed it up with a similar appeal issued by state unit chief Ashok Choudhary. But the central Congress leadership did not make any comment on Nitish.

After the Opposition meeting in Delhi, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said in response to questions: "We were discussing the candidate here and Nitish is not the candidate." There is much unease about the JDU's somersault but the parties are so far exercising restraint in the fond hope of a change of heart.

Lalu Prasad insisted there was no threat to the Bihar government.

Like Tyagi, Bihar JDU chief Bashistha Narayan Singh said there was no chance of the party reconsidering its stand.

Privately, JDU leaders conceded that fielding Meira was a smart move.

Sources said the Meira factor had made Nitish announce his support to Kovind a day ahead of the Opposition meeting in spite of a request from the Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad.

They said Nitish knew that Meira's name would come up at the meeting and she was the frontrunner. It would have been more difficult for Nitish to back Kovind over her after her name was announced.