Nitish skips Murmu’s swearing in, RJD takes a dig

Jagdanand Singh, state unit president of main the RJD, the main opposition party in Bihar, said Kumar’s absence was a reflection of an “unnatural alliance” between JD(U) and BJP

Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar skipped the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected President of India Droupadi Murmu in the national capital on Monday, fuelling ongoing speculation of a rift with ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with which his party shares power in Bihar.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (PTI)

The JD(U) had supported Murmu in the July 18 presidential poll.

JD(U) president and MP Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, who also did not attend the function, played down the speculation as a “non-issue”.

“All our MPs attended the swearing-in function. The CM did not go, as he had pre-scheduled organisational engagements. I have reached Delhi as in the evening to attend the meeting on the Vice-President’s election. Our party was well represented at the function,” he said.

However, Jagdanand Singh, state unit president of main the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the main opposition party in Bihar, said Kumar’s absence was a reflection of an “unnatural alliance” between JD(U) and BJP. “Both parties connived to loot the people’s mandate, but now the fissures are getting wider with each passing day. Here, the interest is the chair. One wants to hold on to it, while the other wants to grab it even at the cost of people’s plight,” he told reporters.