Lalu meets Nitish; Tejashwi claims ‘all is well’

Sources in the RJD, however, said that Lalu and Tejashwi met Nitish after reading Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s interview to a Hindi daily in which the Home Minister had replied to a question from the reporter on whether the BJP would welcome its old allies, including the JD(U), to its fold, to which Shah had said if there was “any such proposal” from Nitish’s party, the BJP “would look” into it.

Shah’s statement assumes importance because he had said during his Bihar rallies that “the BJP’s doors have been shut for Nitish forever”.

When asked about Shah’s comments to the Hindi daily, Tejashwi sarcastically said, “I do not know. Maybe you people have better knowledge of what Amit Shah wanted to imply.”

The two top RJD leaders also met the CM after the JD(U) had been “upset” with RJD leader Bhai Birendra’s January 16 statement that “Nitish had been CM because of Lalu Prasad’s blessings”.

Though the RJD called the meeting of the alliance leaders part of the ongoing seat-sharing process, the Bihar BJP holding a meeting of its legislators from the Assembly and the Council fuelled the political speculation. The BJP, however, called it a pre-scheduled meeting with its legislators ahead of the coming Ayodhya consecration ceremony, Karpoori Thakur centenary function, and the upcoming budget session.

Tejashwi, who is on the ED radar, and has skipped more than one summonses issued by the agency, said after the meeting, “Nitish Kumar is the CM and I am his deputy. We keep meeting regularly on government matters….I feel sorry for media queries (on the alliance). It is not necessary for me to give explanations on non-existent issues. We are running a government that will not be distracted from the agenda of working for the people. The RJD and the JD(U) are firmly together and will jointly contest the Lok Sabha polls to defeat the BJP.”

On Thursday, former CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi’s social media post fuelled speculations of a turbulence in the Mahagathbandhan.

“Despite being in Delhi, I have been keeping an eye on Bihar’s current political situation. Given the state’s political situation, I have asked all my MLAs (four including him) to stay put in Patna till February 25,” he posted on X in Hindi.

On January 17, NDA allies, HAM(S), Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal of Upendra Kushwaha and Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) had a meeting in Delhi to discuss Bihar’s political situation and their stakes.

–With PTI Inputs