Nityanand Rai calls on Chirag Paswan in Patna

Patna, April 14 (IANS) Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, met Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) national president, Chirag Paswan, at the latter's residence here on Friday.

The meeting was important for the BJP after Chirag Paswan recently went to the Iftar party of RJD where his photo with Tejashwi Yadav made the state BJP leaders uncomfortable.

The move of the BJP came days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar went to Delhi and held meetings with Congress top brass Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, and Left leaders D. Raja and Sitaram Yechuri.

The meeting between Rai and Paswan was also crucial after Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent rally in Nawada announced to contest 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. After his statement, Chirag Paswan had also announced that he is preparing to contest all 40 seats.

After the meeting, a photograph of Rai and Paswan surfaced on social media, but the former did not interact with mediapersons or comment on what was discussed during the meeting.

Paswan, however, said: "Nityanand Rai is an old friend of my father (Ram Vilas Paswan). We discussed several issues. We will form an alliance with the BJP at the right time. Nitish Kumar is not concerned about Bihar. He is only looking at the chair of the Prime Minister."