Days after the RJD’s invite to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Janata Dal United (JDU) has now invited Tejashwi Yadav to the Iftar party. The invitation has triggered another wave of speculation that both the parties may be warming up to the idea to come together to form the government. This will be the second meeting in a week between Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav, who is currently leading the RJD.
Last Friday, Nitish Kumar attended an Iftar party organised by the RJD at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence at 10, Circular Road, in Patna. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti were among the leaders sitting beside Nitish Kumar who was seen talking to his former deputy and exchanging pleasantries.
While Tejashwi called it a routine for RJD to invite leaders of the Iftar party, his younger brother Tej Pratav Yadav said that both the parties may come together to form the government. Speaking to ANI, he said earlier, he had put up ‘No Entry’ board for Nitish Kumar, but now he had put up ‘Entry Nitish Chacha Ji’ board. “Since he came (to the Iftar party), the government will be formed. We will form a government, it’s a secret. I had a word with Nitish Ji secretly,” he said.
The RJD and JDU had formed a grand alliance ahead of 2015 assembly elections, which they won with a huge majority. However, two years later, Nitish Kumar walked out of the alliance citing differences with RJD over corruption cases against the Yadav family. The recent meeting between Nitish and Tejaswi has once again fuelled speculation of possible realignment.
The chief minister, however, rubbished speculations over his visit to Rabri’s place on Iftar. He said many people are invited to such Iftar parties. “What connection does it have with politics? We also hold an Iftar party and invite everyone to it,” he said.
In the last assembly polls, the RJD emerged as the largest party, while the BJP came at the second and JDU was pushed to the third position.
