JDU-BJP rift widens, Nitish Kumar dials Sonia: reports

Amid reports of a rift betwen the ruling BJP-JDU alliance in Bihar, speculation is rife over regional parties reaching out to their MLAs .

The Indian Express reported that Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's JD (U) called for separate meetings of their MLAs in Patna. NDA ally Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) also called a meeting of its legislators.

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Meanwhile, the CM reportedly also dialled Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The development has come in the wake of an ongoing war of words between the JD(U) and BJP.

On Sunday, Nitish Kumar's party alleged its ally "BJP's hand in conspiracies" against the state government. JDU chief Lalan Singh in a press conference said his party would stick to its decision of not joining the Union Council of Ministers, a decision it had taken in 2019.

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The CM also didn't attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting of states presided by Prime Minister Modi on August 7.

Former JD(U) leader RCP Singh was the only representative of the party in the Union cabinet. He tendered his resignation on Sunday after his party sought explanation from him over corruption allegations. Singh was also denied a Rajya Sabha seat by his party for the Upper House polls in June.

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The possibility of a JD (U)-RJD tie-up has been doing rounds for quite some time. The ruling JD(U) also extended its support to Opposition's Tejashwi Yadav's protest against Centre on price rise. It said that the RJD leader was well within his rights to do so.