As ‘chacha-bhatija’ Nitish and Tejashwi share flight, JD(U) says ‘just a coincidence’

The JD (U) and the RJD, however, called it a “coincidence”. While the JD (U) — which has been an on-again-off-again ally of the RJD — reiterated that it had was still firmly with the NDA, Tejashwi’s party said there was “nothing wrong with a bhatija (nephew, referring to Tejashwi) and chacha (referring to Nitish) sharing a flight and greeting each other”.

#WATCH | Rivals Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav take same flight to Delhi as NDA, INDIA hold meetings after Lok Sabha election results

Read: https://t.co/ifQ9VMsuzn pic.twitter.com/Jxn4Mm8rOk

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) June 5, 2024

The speculations came after a video shot by a TV journalist travelling to Delhi by the same Vistara flight as the two leaders showed Nitish taking his seat in the business class, with Tejashwi — his former deputy chief minister until the Bihar CM returned to the NDA earlier this year — seated just behind him. While neither Nitish nor Tejashwi responded to the reporter’s query on the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, the image fuelled speculations, especially given Nitish Kumar’s history of political flip-flops.

“It’s just a coincidence that the two leaders were travelling to Delhi by the same flight,” JD (U) spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar told The Indian Express. “We’re strongly with the NDA and looking forward to a government under Narendra Modi for the third straight term. There’s no need to try to read political meaning into this. But remember one thing — Tejashwi will always take a back seat, as seen in the flight”.

The RJD too said this was a coincidence and that there was “no personal rivalry in politics. “There was nothing wrong in a bhatija (nephew) Tejashwi greeting his chacha (uncle) Nitish in a flight. But we cannot stop people from reading too much into it”.

When asked if the INDIA  bloc would explore the possibility of forming a government, Tejashwi told reporters in Delhi, “Have some patience. Wait and watch what happens next.” He was also asked if he spoke to Nitish on the flight, to which he responded, “We greeted each other. For everything else, just wait and see what happens.”

The INDIA bloc in Bihar got nine seats — including RJD’s four — up eight seats from the last Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the NDA’s Bihar tally fell from 39 to 30 seats this time.