Talking to the media in Patna, Nitish Kumar termed these discussions as meaningless.

Maharashtra minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik on Tuesday said any decision on the opposition's candidate for the country's next presidential post will be taken collectively by leaders of various parties and Bihar Chief Minister

's name can be considered only when his party JD(U) breaks ties with BJP.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Nawab Malik claimed that the BJP will face defeat in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur - and the saffron party will get less than 150 seats in the 403-member UP assembly.

On the other hand, while talking briefly to the media in Patna, Nitish Kumar termed these discussions (regarding his claim for the post of President) as meaningless and said, 'We do not have any idea in our mind about this.

Neither do we have any imagination.

,

Political stir due to meeting of Nitish and Prashant Kishor, CM laughed and gave this answer when asked about the meaning

Hear what @NitishKumar said on Are you in the age of becoming President @ndtvindia@Anurag_Dwary@Suparna_Singhpic.twitter.com/5VKDsYtDwA

— manish (@manishndtv) February 22, 2022

He further said that the process of forming an anti-BJP front at the national level has been started before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In this regard, he referred to the meeting of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee with top leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the recent past.

The NCP leader said that the front would be formed under the collective leadership of the opposition parties.

At the same time, he added that such a front cannot be formed without the Congress.

Responding to a question, Malik said there are reports of Nitish Kumar being the (opposition's) candidate for the presidential election to be held later this year.

"It cannot be discussed until he (Nitish Kumar) breaks ties with the BJP. First he should break ties with the BJP and only then (his candidature) can be considered," he said. The leaders of the (opposition) parties will then sit together and think about it."

Significantly, the JD(U) is currently in power with the BJP in Bihar. Malik accused the BJP of instigating communal violence in Uttar Pradesh in 1993, when it was in power there and said the people of the state had caused it. The NCP leader said that after 30 years in Uttar Pradesh, history will repeat itself when the results of the assembly elections will come next month. Malik claimed that "the people voted for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh (in 2017) after 25 years". Brought it (to power) but in the last five years people are fed up with its politics. BJP will win less than 150 seats in Uttar Pradesh.