Crisis in Bihar's Grand Alliance likely to end on Wednesday

Patna: The crisis in Bihar's ruling Grand Alliance is likely to end on Wednesday, a day after Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and clarified his position on the CBI case against him. "Crisis is almost over, now the Grand Alliance is on track," former MP Shivanand Tiwari said on Wednesday after meeting RJD chief Lalu Prasad at his official residence here. Tejashwi Yadav had a closed door meeting with Nitish Kumar for over 40 minutes on Tuesday night. It was their first interaction since the crisis surfaced. During the meeting, he is believed to have presented a detailed defence of the charges against him. According to RJD leaders, Tejashwi Yadav will not resign and Nitish Kumar will neither seek his resignation nor force him to resign. "There is no threat to the ruling Mahagathbandhan of the JD-U, RJD and Congress as both top leaders of the alliance -- Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar -- have agreed to end the crisis." "It is decided that Tejashwi will act according to the CBI action in the case in the coming months...But Tejashwi will not resign now," a RJD leader said. Another RJD leader, close to Tejashwi, said Nitish Kumar was satisfied after the Deputy Chief Minister met him and put forth his stand. Bihar has been in the grip of a political crisis after the CBI registered a case against Tejashwi in a benami property case and also raided his premises earlier this month, leading to demands for his resignation. The Janata Dal-United, the major partner in the ruling Grand Alliance, has asked its Rashtriya Janata Dal partner to come clean on the allegations.