Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav In One Frame At Rabri Devi's Iftar Party Creates Buzz
Images of Nitish Kumar sitting and interacting with RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav at the Iftar party have gone viral on social media.
New Delhi: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar walked to Rabri Devi's residence to attend an Iftar party on Friday, leading to speculation that he was warming up to RJD amid reports of a strain with ally BJP. Nitish Kumar walked from his 7 Circular Road bungalow to Rabri Devi's 10 Circular Road residence to attend the event, IANS reported.
Images of Nitish Kumar sitting and interacting with RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav went viral on social media.
The development comes a day before Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state. Amit Shah will attend a programme to mark the birth anniversary of Veer Kunwar Singh, one of the heroes of the 1857 revolt against the British rule, at his birthplace Jagdishpur on April 23.
Sources said that Nitish Kumar was coming closer to the RJD especially at a time when its supremo Lalu Prasad was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in a fodder scam case, IANS reported.
The relation between his Janata Dal-United and the BJP has been going through a rough patch in Bihar. The leaders of both parties have been at loggerheads recently over power sharing. The optics of Nitish Kumar visiting Rabri Devi's house for an iftar party may increase his bargaining power with BJP.
Apart from a large number of RJD supporters, Congress leaders like state chief Madan Mohan Jha, and Awadhesh Narayan Singh, BJP leader and Industry Minister Shahnawaz Hussain, Assembly Speaker Vijay Sinha and leaders of other parties were also present at the Iftar party.
LJP (Ram Vilas) President Chirag Paswan, VIP President and recently sacked minister Mukesh Sahani also attended the event.
Chirag Paswan said that his father Ram Vilas Paswan always visited the residence of Lalu Prasad when he organised the Iftar party.
"I am glad that the high court granted bail to Lalu Ji in alleged fodder scam case. He is like my father. I am praying to god that he will recover from his illness very soon. We will work together in future," IANS quoted Paswan as saying.
Sahani said Lalu Prasad Yadav was a symbol of social justice and equality in the country.
"I am glad that he came out on bail and he will be here among us. He is a symbol of social justice and equality in the country and I will learn from him. Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav Ji and Tej Pratap Yadav Ji invited me for the Iftar party," he said.
However, Shahnawaz Hussain played down reports of any rift. "Sushil Modi ji and I had organised an Iftar where Nitish Kumar came. Here Tejashwi Yadav has given an Iftar. We were called, too, and we came. There is no need to make out any political issue," ANI quoted Hussain as saying.
(With inputs from agencies)
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