PATNA: Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Monday ruled out the possibility of ties with ruling Janata Dal (United) led by chief minister Nitish Kumar.
"Doors of RJD for Nitish Kumar's JD(U) are closed," he said in response to a media query in Sitamarhi.
The RJD leader was in Sitamarhi on Monday as part of ongoing interaction with the party workers programme. Tejashwi said that Nitish Ji is unable to run the state properly.
"He is a tired man. The question of ties with JD(U) does arise," he said, adding that the remarks of two party leaders--Bhai Birendra and Shakti Singh Yadav--were not the official statement of the party on the issue.
Last week, Bhai Birendra and Shati Singh Yadav, considered close to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, invited JD(U) national president Nitish to return to the INDIA bloc.
"We will welcome him if Nitish ji returns to the Opposition camp," the duo said. The two RJD leaders' reactions came after reports of 'differences' between two NDA partners--BJP and JD(U)--spread in political circles.
As per reports, Nitish was aggrieved over the statement of BJP minister Vijay Kumar Sinha's remarks at a function in the state capital to commemorate birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Addressing workers of BJP on the occasion, Sinha said, "The true tribute to our departed leader and former PM Vajpayee ji will be when the party will be able to form a government in Bihar on its own."
Sinha, however, later retracted from his earlier statement and said that he was referring to the return of the NDA government in the state after the assembly elections due next year.
Later other leaders of BJP praised Nitish Kumar's leadership and said that the upcoming assembly elections in the state would be contested under his leadership.
"We are firm on our commitment," BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal said.
With assembly elections barely 10 months away, all major political parties have started strengthening their support base. They have announced programmes for grassroots workers in all the 243 assembly constituencies.
