File Photo: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the swearing-in ceremony of JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar as Bihar chief minister for the third consecutive term on Friday.
JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi met Mr Kejriwal on Monday and extended an invitation for Mr Kumar's swearing-in ceremony and the chief minister readily accepted it, AAP sources said.
Mr Kumar has invited his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee as well for the ceremony and she too has agreed to attend it.
Both Ms Banerjee and Mr Kejriwal had extended support to Nitish Kumar in his fight against the BJP-led alliance in the Bihar polls in which the grand alliance comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress registered a victory.
JD(U) had supported the Aam Aadmi Party during the Delhi Assembly polls and also during Mr Kejriwal's fight against Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi.
Both Arvind Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar share good personal rapport. The Bihar Chief Minister had strongly supported the AAP government in its confrontations with the Centre on a range of issues.
A number of AAP leaders were known to be uncomfortable supporting the grand alliance led by Nitish Kumar because of the presence of Lalu Prasad who has been convicted in a fodder scam case. However, Arvind Kejriwal had openly supported Nitish Kumar.