PATNA: Like previous years, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday joined in a series of ‘Dahi-Chura’ feast organised in the state capital on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti. But this year his itinerary was partly changed.
For the last two years, the CM had been joining in the feasts organised by the RJD chief Lalu Prasad and the JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narain Singh. But this year, he also went to the LJP’s state office and residence of a BJP leader and joined in the feasts organised by the LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and the saffron party MLC Rajnish Kumar, respectively.

As Lalu Prasad is currently lodged in Birsa Munda central jail at Ranchi after his sentencing in one of the fodder scam case asnd his only sister Gayatri Devi died recently, there was no feast at his residence.

On Sunday, the CM first visited the residence of JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narain Singh at 36, Hardinge Road where he was warmly welcomed by the latter and other party leaders. Besides the CM, other prominent persons who joined in the feast at Singh’s residence were Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, JD(U) national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member RCP Singh, Rural works minister Shailesh Kumar, Sugar cane industries minister Khurshid Alam, former minister Shyam Rajak and MLCs Chandreshwar Prasad Chandravanshi and Ranvir Nandan.

Several BJP leaders were also seen participating in the feast at Singh’s residence. However, no prominent leader of opposition RJD was seen there. Congress leaders, though attended a similar feast organised by the former minister Awadesh Kumar Singh at his residence at 15, Hardinge Road, just a few meters from the residence of JD(U) state president, but avoided visiting Basshishtha residence. However in the afternoon, former BPCC president Ashok Choudhary, accompanied by his party MLC Dilip Choudhary and Buxar MLA Munna Tiwari, visited the residence of JD(U) president and also joined feast with the JD(U) leaders.
From the residence of Bashishtha Singh, CM visited the LJP office where he was warmly welcomed by LJP chief Paswan, his brothers Ramchandra Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras and son Chirag Paswan. The LJP chief also offered a ’tilkut’ to Nitish Kumar. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary and several other NDA leaders also joined the feast at the LJP office.
From the LJP office, CM visited the residence of BJP MLC Rajnish Kumar at 24/10 Bailey Road where several BJP leaders welcomed Nitish. Large number of JD(U) leaders too attended the feast at the BJP MLC’s residence.
It was for the first time in the last five years that BJP leaders were seen attending the ‘Dahi-chura’ feast hosted by JD(U) leader and vice versa. The BJP leaders had been avoiding the Makar Sankrati feast of Bashishtha Narayan Singh since 2014 after the two parties broke their alliance in June 2013 and JD(U) later joined hands with RJD and Congress to form a grand alliance before the 2015 Bihar elections.
Source : timesofindia