Congress says all is well in Bihar alliance

The Congress sought to mend fences in Bihar on Monday, saying that its grand alliance in the state was "strong and intact" and that the partners stood by each other.

Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi also played down Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's remarks in which he had blamed the Congress for the "ongoing mess" in the opposition and for not forming an alliance in Uttar Pradesh

and Assam.

He said the issues that arose between the Congress and Nitish Kumar's JD-U were restricted to the choice of a presidential candidate, which, he added, was now a

closed chapter.

"Whatever had to happen has happened, as far as that (presidential election) is concerned. It has absolutely no effect on our relationship as far as the JD-U and Congress and other parties are concerned in Bihar," he said, adding that Nitish Kumar had also said so.

"Our coalition is strong, stable and still there and everybody stands by each other," he told reporters.

There was speculation about a rift in the state government –a coalition of the JD(U), RJD and the Congress –after Nitish Kumar decided to support the NDA presidential candidate instead of the opposition's nominee from the Congress.