Patna: The Iftar meeting between Lalu and Nitish Kumar on Friday ended with JD(U) staying firm on its previous stand of supporting NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

“We have taken a decision of supporting Mr Kovind and we are firm on our stand,” Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said after the iftar meeting on Friday.  

Justifying his decision to back the NDA presidential candidate, Mr. Kumar said, “I have a lot of respect for Meira Kumar but Bihar ki Beti has been made the nominee only to lose.”

The hard-hitting statement came a day after Lalu Yadav warned him of making “a historical blunder” by extending support to the Bihar Governor. It also hinted that tension between Mr Yadav and Mr Kumar was increasing. The RJD chief earlier said the JD(U)’s decision to support Mr Kovind would not affect the grand secular alliance government in Bihar but the chief M’s statement on Friday widened the rift between the partners.