Lalu Prasad meets Nitish Kumar; Tejashwi Yadav asserts "all is well"

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Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad visited the residence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who also leads the Janata Dal (United), accompanied by his son Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister. Tejashwi Yadav, speaking to reporters after the meeting, dismissed rumors of a rift and emphasized that the alliance remains strong in reality.

Expressing frustration with questions about the timing of seat-sharing in the Mahagathbandhan, Yadav questioned the curiosity, pointing out that even the BJP-led NDA has not finalized its seat-sharing within its own camp.

The JD(U), a recent entrant to the Mahagathbandhan, has been pushing for a swift seat-sharing agreement, which was rejected by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad a couple of days ago. Speculations suggest that the JD(U), having won 16 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as an NDA partner, may not agree to a lesser number this time, while the RJD, which drew a blank, may insist on a larger share due to its superior numerical strength in the assembly.

When asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent interview, where his response regarding Nitish Kumar was seen as a possibility of doors not being closed on the JD(U) boss, Tejashwi Yadav responded sarcastically, stating that he does not know and suggested the reporters may have better knowledge.

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Despite being under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and missing multiple summonses, Tejashwi Yadav emphasized that the RJD and JD(U) are firmly together and will jointly contest the Lok Sabha polls to defeat the BJP.

Nitish Kumar, previously a BJP partner, had severed ties with the saffron party in August 2023, accusing them of attempting to split the JD(U) and expressing the goal of defeating the NDA in 2024 by uniting the entire opposition. As the longest-serving CM of the state, Kumar recently took over as the JD(U) president. In a recent development, he declined the convener's post in the INDIA bloc, emphasizing a focus on better coordination among coalition partners instead of personal designations. (With inputs from PTI)