Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar on the RJD chief's birthday.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad today and took him some flowers. It was the RJD chief's 68th birthday.
This was their first meeting since the alliance for the Bihar elections was announced on Monday.
The chief minister drove to the house of former chief minister Rabri Devi, which is two houses away from his 7 Circular Road official residence.
"We are political people and discuss politics, but here it was a pure personal to wish Laluji on his birthday," Mr Kumar later said.
On Monday, Mr Prasad had proposed the name of Mr Kumar, a friend turned political rival, as the leader of the Bihar alliance against the BJP, after weeks of posturing by the leaders of their parties regarding the post of the chief minister.
On the occasion, Mr Prasad had said, "If I have to drink poison to remove BJP, I can do so," triggering speculation about whether he was entering the alliance out of political compulsion.
Today the atmosphere was festive and a cake was cut.
"Laluji used to say he wasn't sure about his date of birth, though June 11 was mentioned on his school certificate," an RJD leader said.
Mr Prasad said he was "still young" and fully prepared to take on the BJP in the coming Bihar assembly elections.
"I am still young and have full energy like any young man, even after last year's major heart surgery," he said. "I will put the Bharatiya Janata Party and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi in trouble."