Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday sought to write off his jailed arch rival, RJD national president Lalu Prasad, with the remark that with adequate power supply in the state the days of 'lantern' the opposition partys ubiquitous poll symbol were over.
Prasad, who is in Ranchi serving sentences in fodder scam cases, took to twitter and likened his associate-turned-adversary to "the species that keeps leaping from one tree branch to another" while accusing Kumar of being "paltuon ka sardar" (the king of turncoats).
"Electricity has reached every household in Bihar. Now there is no use for the lantern," Kumar told an election rally in Jamui Lok Sabha constituency in a veiled attack on the RJD that evoked applause from the crowds.
The chief minister, who heads the JD(U), an NDA ally, was canvassing for local MP Chirag Paswan of the LJP, which is the third constituent in the state of the BJP-led coalition.
Defending his decision to return to the NDA in 2017, four years after having snapped ties with the BJP, Kumar said he took the step keeping in mind the interests of Bihar and the state has witnessed accelerated growth with Prime Minister Narendra Modis cooperation.
Kumar also lauded Modi for acting tough on terror and raising the countrys prestige on the international stage.
Prasad, who has been sore ever since Kumars abrupt exit from the 'Mahagathbandhan' stripped the RJD off power and caused his sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav to lose their ministerial berths, shared a newspaper clipping from 2014, wherein the chief minister was quoted as having said "I shall rather be consigned to dust than align with the BJP."
Known for his acerbic wit, Prasad captioned the photograph in Hindi "read the statement of the creature that keeps leaping from one tree branch to another. He has been responsible for changing loyalties five times in as many years. Hence he has been called the king of turncoats."
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