Nitish Kumar's absence at the previous KCR event had raised many eyebrows. (File)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday disclosed that he has asked his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and president of his Janata Dal (United) (JDU) Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan to attend an event to be hosted by Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao. The JD(U) leader, however, insisted that this would not cast a shadow on his partnership with the Congress which KCR, as the Telangana Chief Minister is popularly known, views as his principal rival.
"He (KCR) wanted me to attend his function. When I excused myself citing pressing engagements back home, he requested that I depute someone from the party. So I have asked Lalan," Mr Kumar told reporters in Kaimur district which he visited as part of 'Samadhan Yatra'.
Mr Kumar also said that KCR had also asked him to put in a word with Mr Yadav, who belongs to the RJD.
"I assured him that I would do the needful but he should also speak to the Deputy Chief Minister. Both of them (Lalan and Tejashwi) will be going to Hyderabad," said the Bihar Chief Minister.
The Telangana Chief Minister, who had held a meeting of opposition leaders earlier this month, is planning another grand event in the second week of February when a function will be held for inauguration of a new secretariat building, followed by a public meeting.
Mr Kumar's absence at the previous event had raised many eyebrows but he later clarified that he was neither invited nor in a position to go out of the state.
The JD(U) boss also dismissed suggestions that cosying up to KCR, a votary of a non-Congress, non-BJP front amounted to his giving up the idea of a "united opposition" which would include the grand old party to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.
"I have said it before that I am waiting for their (Bharat Jodo) Yatra to conclude after which various parties would sit together and explore the possibility of forming a coalition that could take along as many people as possible", the JD(U) leader said.
He also pointed out that he had done his bit to set the ball in motion soon after calling off the alliance with BJP and joining the 'Mahagathbandhan', by visiting Delhi and holding talks with leaders of various parties.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)