Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar on Friday made it clear that his dissenting senior party colleague Sharad Yadav was free to take any decision as the alliance with the BJP had the entire party's nod.
Virtually shutting the door on any reconciliation with the rebel veteran leader who was welcomed by RJD in Bihar a day earlier, Nitish said the decision to join NDA was not his alone. This is Nitish's first direct response to Yadav's open rebellion against the alliance.
“He (Yadav) is free to take his decision. As far as the party is concerned, it has already taken its decision. The decision was not mine alone and it was taken with the consent of the party. If he keeps a different opinion, then he is free to do so,” Nitish said after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This was the Bihar CM's first visit to the National Capital after he dumped his Mahagathbandhan partners, RJD and Congress, to tie-up with the BJP.
Yadav, who is the leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, is on a tour to Bihar currently. He has said he was still with the Mahagathbandhan even as he also claimed that the real JD(U) is with him and the one with Niths was 'sarkari' JD(U).