Know what Asaduddin Owaisi has to say on split within Bihar's Mahagathbandhan

New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday held Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress responsible for the split within Bihar's 'Mahagathbandhan'.

Speaking exclusively to Zee Media, the Lok Sabha MP said, “Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and the Congress were responsible for the break-up,” adding that all three had said that the grand alliance was formed to stop the fascist forces.

He further said that Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are two sides of the same coin.

Nitish Kumar walked out of the mahagathbandhan after RJD chief Lalu Yadav categorically said there was no chance of Tejashwi Yadav resigning over the corruption charges.

Nitish Kumar was on Wednesday was sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar for the sixth time, a day after he resigned, dumped coalition partner Lalu Prasad's RJD and joined hands with the opposition BJP to reclaim his post in fast-paced manoeuvres that redrew the political landscape of the state.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, JD(U) has 71 MLAs and the BJP 53. The two parties together have 124 MLAs, marginally ahead of the half-way mark. Besides, they have the support of NDA allies LJP (02) and RLSP (02).

Tensions simmered between the two alliance partners ever since the CBI registered a case against Lalu Prasad, his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi in a land-for-hotels case.

The offence was allegedly committed when Lalu was the railway minister in the UPA government. He was allegedly instrumental in handing over the maintenance of two hotels of Indian Railways-owned PSU ICRTC to two Patna businessmen in return for a prime plot of land in the Bihar capital where his family is now constructing a shopping mall.