After Lalu, Nitish will not attend Rahul’s programme

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not be present at the rally of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in West Champaran district on Saturday as he would be busy with ticket distribution.

Bihar Congress president Ashok Choudhary said they have received a communication that like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad, the CM too is occupied with seat allotment and selection of candidates, and hence, would not be able to it make to the Ramnagar programme. He, however, said too much of political meaning should not be read into it.

JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi said: “The party has authorised me to participate in Rahul Gandhi’s rally.” Tyagi said as Kumar would be involved in ticket distribution, he has to stay in Patna and would not be able to make it to Ramnagar. There would be “many occasions in the near future” when senior leaders of the grand secular alliance JD(U), RJD and Congress would share the <g data-gr-id="18">dias</g>, he said.

However, Kumar did not comment on his absence from Gandhi’s <g data-gr-id="20">programme,</g> but tweeted a message “Mahagathbandhan has finalised the list of seats each party would be contesting. The formal list will be issued on September 19.” 

RJD president Lalu Prasad has already announced that he would not be able to go to Ramnagar and would send his son Tejaswi Yadav instead. Choudhary said Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad would accompany Gandhi <g data-gr-id="17">tgo</g> Ramnagar.