Lok Janshakti Party MP Chirag Paswan's meeting with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav today revived speculation about realignment in Bihar after a split in Mr Paswan's party engineered by his uncle.
Chirag Paswan visited Tejashwi Yadav in Patna to invite him to a memorial for his father and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's first death anniversary on Sunday (Sept 12).
Both emphasized on their fathers' close ties and a long association but refused to respond to questions about a formal collaboration. The two leaders also jointly targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
"We have old family ties. My father and Lalu Yadav worked together for years and my father would have wanted Lalu-ji to participate in such an event," Mr Paswan told reporters, Tejashwi Yadav by his side.
He also said he would try to meet with Lalu Yadav in Delhi tomorrow to invite him personally.
Asked whether he would also meet with Nitish Kumar, Mr Paswan said he had sought an appointment but had not received any response.
"I have asked for time but it is not easy to meet the Chief Minister. Especially when it comes to me, he does not give an appointment. I hope he gives me an audience at least before the event," Mr Paswan remarked.
Tejashwi Yadav said on the Paswans, "We are ghar ke log (family). When we first came into politics in 2010, we learnt a lot from Ram Vilas Paswan. If Lalu-ji gets better he will also attend. He was very upset when Paswan-ji died as they were old comrades."
The RJD leader caught on to Mr Paswan's comment on wanting to meet with Nitish Kumar and remarked: "On such an occasion, if someone asks for time, they should get it."
Both sidestepped questions about an alliance, when asked about Lalu Yadav's comment welcoming Chirag Paswan to team up with his son Tejashwi after the revolt in his party.
"No politics should be read into today's meeting. I have come today on a personal capacity. This is not the time for political questions about the future," Mr Paswan said.
Mr Paswan's LJP, which was a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, split in June with five of six Lok Sabha MPs breaking away. The breakaway faction is led by his uncle Pashupati Paras, the younger brother of Ram Vilas Paswan.
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