Patna: In what has become a new habit, Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar and Arvind Kejriwal will seek each other's company today for the fourth time in the last two months.
Mr Kumar, who is running for a third term in Bihar, has locked in Mr Kejriwal's support - the Delhi leader's Aam Aadmi Party or AAP has said it will not put up any candidates in Bihar.
In February's election which Mr Kejriwal swept in Delhi, a million Biharis in the city voted for AAP. So both leaders stand to benefit from displaying a mutual liking.
And they're rolling with it. Mr Kumar, on Monday, reiterated his support for full statehood for Delhi, high on the list of Mr Kejriwal's war cries against the BJP. Another is the control that Mr Kejriwal accuses the BJP of unduly exerting in the governance of Delhi, which has also won Mr Kumar's backing.
"What kind of government is it where a Chief Minister can't transfer key officials, but he is answerable for every action?" asked the Bihar Chief Minister.
The appeal of Mr Kejriwal to young voters is a quality Mr Kumar hopes to leverage, either by persuading the AAP chief to address a rally in Bihar for him, or through a formal statement.
The influence of Mr Kejriwal on the Bihar campaign is notable. Mr Kumar's main election strategist is Pravin Kishor, who introduced high-tech blitz into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national campaign. After signing up with Mr Kumar, he has created a back-to-basics approach that has seen the Chief Minister visiting homes to seek support and feedback on important policies - a trademark of Mr Kejriwal, whose neighbourhood meetings helped shape his party's manifesto and more recently, the Delhi government's budget.
Mr Kumar had come to Delhi to attend Monday's Iftar party hosted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, with whom he has allied along with Lalu Prasad Yadav. Together, they hope to stop the Prime Minister from leading the BJP to victory in Bihar.
Mr Kumar, who is running for a third term in Bihar, has locked in Mr Kejriwal's support - the Delhi leader's Aam Aadmi Party or AAP has said it will not put up any candidates in Bihar.
In February's election which Mr Kejriwal swept in Delhi, a million Biharis in the city voted for AAP. So both leaders stand to benefit from displaying a mutual liking.
"What kind of government is it where a Chief Minister can't transfer key officials, but he is answerable for every action?" asked the Bihar Chief Minister.
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The influence of Mr Kejriwal on the Bihar campaign is notable. Mr Kumar's main election strategist is Pravin Kishor, who introduced high-tech blitz into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national campaign. After signing up with Mr Kumar, he has created a back-to-basics approach that has seen the Chief Minister visiting homes to seek support and feedback on important policies - a trademark of Mr Kejriwal, whose neighbourhood meetings helped shape his party's manifesto and more recently, the Delhi government's budget.
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