JD (U) eyes grand alliance as Nitish meets Sonia

The Janata Dal (United) on Thursday spoke in different tunes as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the national capital with some describing it to be a courtesy call while others expressed hope that the two parties come together on a single platform to counter the BJP's growing popularity.

JDU leader K.C. Tyagi asserted that there was no political discussion as such during the meeting.

"Sonia Gandhi is the senior most leader of the alliance in Bihar. There was no such political discussion during the meeting. It was a personal meeting related to her health. There was no discussion on any alliance or the presidential election," JD (U) leader K.C. Tyagi said.

Another JD (U) leader Ajay Alok, however, looked quite positive to know about the meeting and expressed hope that both parties join hands so as to counter the BJP.

"Mr Nitish Kumar and Mrs Sonia Gandhi both are the national presidents of the Indian National Congress and the JD (U) respectively and both are in the alliance. So, it's imperative in the current political scenario that both leaders should meet. Nitish Kumar has always said that all non-BJP parties should unite and come together on a single platform. So, if this unity happens on the ground, definitely things will have a different shape," Alok told ANI.

Nitish has been calling for the formation of grand alliance of secular parties at the national level to take on the BJP. He is believed to have raised the same in his meeting with the Congress president.

The Congress is a partner in the Bihar Government with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United).