Former Bihar chief minister and senior ruling party Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Saturday said an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal is essential to fight the BJP in the Assembly elections, which are due later this year.
Party sources told The Hindu that Mr. Kumar, addressing his party’s political advisory committee meeting, admitted that the battle against BJP could not be fought alone.
Out of 189 members of the political advisory committee, as many as 170 members reportedly supported merger with the RJD.
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Some of the members from Sitamarhi and Purnea districts opposed the merger move, but they were shouted down.
“All the required formalities of the merger have already been completed and it will be announced soon,” Mr. Kumar said. He took a dig at the BJP saying it was trying to scare people in the name of RJD. However, when asked if their [Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar] hearts too have merged, Mr. Kumar retorted, “Do you have a problem with that?”