Amit Shah meets Nitish Kumar during Bihar visit ahead of assembly polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a three-day visit to poll-bound Bihar, met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on Friday. BJP sources said it was a courtesy meeting between Shah and Kumar, also the JD(U) supremo.

Shah, accompanied by senior BJP leaders, including Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, met Kumar at 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of the CM here. Senior JD(U) leaders, including the party’s working national president Sanjay Jha, were also present at the meeting.

Elections to the 243-member assembly will be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, while counting of votes will take place on November 14.

Later in the day, Shah is scheduled to address a public meeting in Saran in favour of NDA nominees in Amnaur and Taraiya assembly seats. He will also address a gathering of intellectuals at Gyan Bhawan in Patna, said a BJP leader.

Besides, the home minister will hold BJP's organisational discussions and meet leaders of alliance partners during his three-day visit. State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal had received Shah at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport here on Thursday evening.

During his Bihar tour, Shah is also likely to participate in processions before the filing of nomination papers by some NDA candidates.