Nitish-Lalu all smiles after meet with Sonia, more talks after Cong prez polls

This was the first meeting among the trio in more than five years, and also since Nitish Kumar severed ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and joined hands with the RJD and Congress to form a new government in Bihar.

Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in Delhi on Sunday evening.

Bihar CM and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad after their meeting with Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, in New Delhi, Sunday, (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore)

After the meeting, Kumar told reporters that Gandhi told them there will be another meeting after a new Congress president is elected.

Kumar and Yadav were pictured all smiles and raising their hands in the air together while speaking with reporters.

The Bihar CM said that it is the prerogative for the opposition camp to unite and “work for the country's progress”. “They (Congress) have their party president elections after which she will speak,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He said that the saffron camp needs to be removed in order to “save the country”. “For that, we all have to come together in the way we removed BJP in Bihar. We have had talks with Sonia Gandhi. She asked us to meet again after 10-12 days once Congress party gets a new president,” the RJD chief was quoted by ANI.

This was the first meeting among the trio in more than five years, and also since Kumar severed ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and joined hands with the RJD and Congress to form a new government in Bihar.