Lalu's Enduring Support for Nitish: Doors Always Open

PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad on Friday said his ''doors were always open'' for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his arch rival who recently ended a short-lived alliance and returned to BJP-led NDA.

Prasad, who has maintained a stoic silence ever since his party suffered loss of power as a result of the JD(U) president's volte face, was responding to queries from journalists.

The two leaders were on Thursday seen warmly shaking hands inside the Vidhan Sabha premises where Prasad, who stays mostly indoors since his kidney transplant operation two years ago, had gone to boost the morale of Manoj Jha and Sanjay Yadav, both of whom filed nomination papers as RJD candidates for Rajya Sabha elections.

When Prasad was asked whether the bonhomie indicated that he was still open to rapprochement with Kumar, who has ditched him for the second time, causing his son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav to lose the deputy CM's post on both occasions, the RJD supremo replied ''let him come back. Then we will see (jab aaenge tab dekha jaaega)''.

When pressed further, as to whether the doors were still open for the former ally, Prasad, who has known Kumar since their days as student leaders in the 1970s, replied ''these are always open (khula hi rahta hai)''.

''Lalu ji says the doors are still open. He should know that the famous padlock of Aligarh has been placed on the doors. Our leader Nitish Kumar has clearly said whenever RJD has shared power with us, it has engaged in corruption. There is no question of going back'', asserted JD(U) chief spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar.