Nitish Kumar meets Rahul Gandhi over of alliance with RJD, Tejashwi's resignation

(Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited the national capital on Saturday and met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to discuss the ongoing tussle between him and RJD Chief Lalu's son Tejashwi Yadav over his resignation, after his name surfaced in illegal land allocation case.  Later in the day, Nitish also met Sharad Yadav, who as per sources expressed his resentment against breaking alliance with Lalu. However, before that, reportedly, he will meet Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Interestingly, in the middle of mahagathbandhan crises in Bihar, Nitish coming to Delhi and meeting Rahul, will be an eye-catching affair. On Thursday, he greeted Ram Nath Kovind on being elected President of the country. Kumar, also JD(U) president, called up Kovind and extended his greetings and wishes to him, an official statement said here. Nitish Kumar broke ranks with the opposition and pledged JD(U) support to him in the presidential poll. Kumar cited his role as Governor of Bihar as a reason for supporting him. Kovind, the NDA candidate, was today elected as the country's 14th president defeating opposition's nominee Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker. Interestingly, Bihar politics has witnessed a new low after a fight between JD(U) and RJD over the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Recently, Yadav attended a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav is in the eye of a storm after lodging of an FIR by the CBI against him in the land-for-hotels case. Amid the continuing stand off between JD(U) and RJD over the former's demand to explain the alleged acquisition of massive wealth, Deputy CM Yadav went to the CM's chamber after the Cabinet meeting. His minister brother Tej Pratap Yadav and state Congress chief and minister Ashok Choudhary too were present in the CM's room. It was not clear what transpired in the meeting, which appeared to show that the Grand Alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress is intact. Amid the mounting tension between JD(U) and RJD over the the former's demand from the deputy CM to clear his name in public with facts over the CBI allegation in the case and the later saying 'no' to Tejashwi's resignation, there was speculation if he would attend the Cabinet meeting at all. Tejashwi had on last Saturday skipped a government function in which he had to share dais with the chief minister. The deputy CM, however, arrived for the meeting along with Tej Pratap Yadav in the same car. Earlier, many RJD ministers assembled at the residence of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and moved together for the Cabinet meeting from there in a motorcade. (With inputs from PTI)