Nitish Kumar Placates Lalu After Controversy Over Tweet on Poison

Patna: The disquiet of his alliance with Lalu Yadav is so pervasive that a tweet by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was interpreted quickly as a barely-veiled barb at his partner.

On Tuesday, Mr Kumar posted a couplet by famous mystic poet Kabir; the Chief Minister appeared to compare himself to chandan (sandalwood) who cannot be corrupted by poison.

. @SunilVChandak Bihar's development is my sole agenda.जो रहीम उत्तम प्रकृति, का करी सकत कुसंग| चन्दन विष व्यापत नहीं, लिपटे रहत भुजंग ||

- Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) July 21, 2015

The reference to the unnamed contaminator was quickly interpreted by the parties of Mr Kumar and Lalu as the latest expression of the passive-aggressive tone that has marked their alliance ahead of  the nearing election in their home state. Till the Chief Minister clarified that his barb was aimed at the BJP, with whom his party's lengthy collaboration ended acrimoniously in 2013.

"Lalu and Nitish are like brothers, there is no problem," said Jaiprakash Yadav, a parliamentarian from Lalu's party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD.

Mr Kumar wants a third consecutive term as Chief Minister.  Lalu, who has led Bihar in the past, is unhappy with his former rival getting another shot at office, but cannot contest the election himself because he has been convicted in a corruption case.  Their alliance extends to the Congress. The parties have united to block the BJP from riding the Prime Minister's popularity and coming to power.  

Before and after formalizing their partnership, Lalu has signaled his protest repeatedly at the primacy accorded to Mr Kumar - in the most recent expression of his unhappiness, he broke with a well-established tradition of attending Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's iftaar dinner in Delhi.  Mr Kumar was seated at her table.