Nitish Kumar joins Lalu Prasad Yadav for Sankranti feast

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi serves tilkut, a traditional sweet dish, to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, Mr Lalu Yadav’s younger son, looks on in Patna on Friday. — PTI

All speculation regarding the souring relationship between the JD(U) and RJD ended on Friday when Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar arrived at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s residence here and greeted him on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The two leaders were meeting for the first time after the formation of the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar. Reports of Mr Lalu Yadav calling the shots in the government and instructing officials had led to speculation that the two parties were on the verge of a break-up. While terming all such speculation as “mere rumours and an effort by the Opposition to create differences between them”, Mr Lalu Yadav slammed the BJP and RSS by calling them “khatmal (bed bugs)”.

“BJP’s only job is to create confusion. They will get good treatment from us and forces like BJP will vanish soon,” Mr Lalu Yadav said in Patna while attending to guests who had come to greet him at his official residence on Makar Sankranti.

In a bid to give a strong political message to the masses and his opponents, the RJD chief, while welcoming CM Nitish Kumar who had come to attend the lunch at his official residence, applied a curd tilak on his forehead and claimed that the Grand Secular Alliance government would survive for “another 20 years”. He said, “I had applied a tilak on Nitish Kumar’s forehead earlier as well and have applied it again.”

Describing Mr Lalu Yadav’s gesture as “auspicious”, Mr Nitish Kumar said, “I feel blessed after big brother Lalujii applied a tilak of curd on my forehead on this occasion.” According to a senior RJD leader, around 32 quintals of chuda (flattened rice) and curd were arranged for the feast at Mr Lalu Yadav’s residence. Mr Yadav’s two sons — deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav and state health minister Tej Pratap Yadav — were also present on the occasion and assisted their father in greeting and serving the CM and other guests. Later Mr Yadav and Mr Nitish Kumar also attended a feast organised by the JD(U) in Patna.