Union minister and RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha met RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav Friday, triggering speculation of discontent within NDA grouping in Bihar, hours after BJP chief Amit Shah announced a seat-sharing formula in the state for Lok Sabha elections.
A picture from the meeting, that took place in Arwal district, of the two leaders was shared by the RJD on its WhatsApp group, prompting many to believe the RLSP chief was not happy within the BJP-led NDA, though his party downplayed it as a "courtesy call".
"Public figures do meet each other often even if they do not happen to be allies," an RSLP functionary told PTI after the meeting.
Kushwaha's RLSP is a part of the BJP-led NDA in Bihar whose other constituents are Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Ramvilas Paswan's LJP.
Kushwaha declined to comment on what transpired during the meeting.
His meeting with the top leader of the NDA's rival party assumes significance as it came on a day Shah talked about a seat-sharing formula for the alliance and also said "all four parties will remain part of the NDA."
On Shah's announcement of the BJP and the JD(U) contesting equal number of seats, Kushwaha said, "He has not stated any number of seats for any party."
Shah's statement does not necessarily imply that it will be a loss for the RLSP, Kushwaha said. "Shah did not specify any number while saying the two parties would fight an equal number of seats."
He also cryptically remarked, "Nitish is like a Brahmin who will first satiate himself and leave the crumbs for Shudras and Dalits."