Not interested in meeting Nitish: Hardik Patel

Patel Navnirman Sena (PNS) President Hardik Patel on Friday said he has no interest in meeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the latter has joined hands with the BJP.

The Patidar agitation leader, who arrived here on Friday, however, expressed his desire to meet Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his younger son Tejashwi Yadav.

"Nitish Kumar has changed his path... he is with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now. There is no use to meet him and talk to him because I am against the BJP," Patel told the media after arriving here to attend some functions.

"I am keen to meet Lalu Prasad and talk to him but I was told he is in Mumbai, undergoing treatment there," he said, adding he would now meet Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.

Earlier, dozens of youth received him at Patna airport and shouted slogans in his favour.

Last time, when Patel visited Patna in December 2016, he went directly to the Chief Minister's official residence from Patna airport. He was also given VIP treatment by the state government. But this time, things seem to be different.

Nitish Kumar belongs to the agrarian Kurmi caste, and Patel belongs to the Patel caste, the powerful Other Backward Class (OBC) caste in Gujarat, just like the Kurmis in Bihar.

--IANS

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