New Delhi: Amid the growing perception of a rift between the Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the BJP after the former did not join Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said 'everything is fine between the two allies'.

Earlier in the day, Kumar who was upset after his party was offered only a single berth in the Narendra Modi government, hit back at the BJP's state unit today with the much-awaited Cabinet expansion. He included eight of his party colleagues and gave only one berth to BJP, for which the party is yet to find a candidate.

However, while talking to media after the oath-taking ceremony of eight new ministers today, Kumar was qouted as saying, "There were vacancies from the JD-U quota in the ministry. So, JDU leaders were inducted. There is no issue with the BJP. Everything is fine between the two parties."

Echoing similar sentiments, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said JDU has inducted ministers from its own quota. "We have our vacant slots in the state Council of Ministers, which will fill in the future," Modi said.

Another JDU leader Neeraj Kumar, who also took oath as a minister today, had said, "JDU will never leave the NDA. Ministry formation is the prerogative of the Chief Minister."

Eight new ministers who were inducted in the state's Council of Ministers are Ashok Chaudhary, Shyam Rajak, Laxmeshwar Prasad, Bhima Bharati, Ram Sevak Singh, Sanjay Jha, Neeraj Kumar, and Narendra Narayan Yadav. They were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lalji Tandon at Raj Bhavan on Sunday.

(With inputs from ANI)