Nitish rejects Lalu`s charge, says RJD MLAs welcome to join JD-U

Zee Media Bureau

Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that his party Janata Dal (U) would welcome rebel RJD MLAs into its fold and rejected allegations that the Assembly Speaker worked at his behest by hurriedly giving recognition to the breakaway faction. In Delhi to attend a meeting of non-Congress, non-BJP front, Kumar told reporters that there are differences in Lalu Prasad-led RJD and the party is "on the verge of a split". "As far as JD(U) stand is concerned, if the people come to us, we will welcome them," he said. Dismissing suggestions that the Speaker worked to benefit JD(U), he said, "This is not possible. The Speaker has been given certain powers by the Constitution and he alone can take decisions in certain matters. This is what happened in this issue as well. Nobody can pressurise him," he said. He said people can discuss technical aspects of the decision as much as they want to but as far as political developments are concerned, RJD is close to a division among its ranks. Kumar, who broke away from NDA over the elevation of Narendra Modi, said he could not see the so-called wave in favour of the BJP`s prime ministerial candidate. RJD saw a major upheaval yesterday with 13 out of its 22 MLAs quitting the party. But six of them later returned and denied walking away from the party. The reaction from Nitish Kumar came shortly after Lalu Prasad, who arrived in Patna this morning from the national capital, accused him of offering lucrative posts to his party legislators to create fissures. "Nitish Kumar is eyeing RJD legislators and offering them lucrative posts to split the party," Lalu Prasad told media persons here. He also accused Bihar assembly Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary of being involved in the conspiracy to split the RJD. However, Lalu Prasad claimed that 9 of 13 legislators had returned to the party fold and denied any split. The RJD has called a meeting of its legislature party today at the official residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi. With PTI inputs