Lalu's RJD not to join government in Bihar

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Friday said his party would not join the JD-U-led government in Bihar but would continue to support it from outside.

"The RJD would not join the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, we will continue to support it from outside," he told media here.

Lalu said last month Nitish Kumar requested him that the RJD should join his ministry but "I told him that the RJD was not in a hurry to take any decision and would not join the government".

Lalu said he and his party have joined hands with the Janata Dal-United in Bihar to counter communal forces and they would contest the next assembly polls together later this year to stop the BJP.

Lalu also denied that he was unhappy over removal of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. "His removal was an internal matter of the JD-U," he said.

"Some people have been saying that Lalu was unhappy at the induction of some faces in Nitish Kumar's cabinet and wanted to see Manjhi as deputy chief minister. But all this is baseless and far from the truth," he said.

RJD's 24 legislators voted in support of Nitish Kumar during the trust vote on Wednesday.