PATNA:  Laughter and camaraderie marked the first meeting of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar following the formation of the mahagathbandhan government in Bihar. Nitish met Lalu within half an hour of the latter’s arrival in the city, and was greeted with a beaming RJD patriarch, who advised Nitish in his native language, Bhojpuri, not to go “anywhere anymore” and hailed him as the “guardian of all.”

Lalu also told Nitish, “You have to move ahead by taking them along.” The meeting, which lasted for nearly 45 minutes, also saw Lalu telling Nitish and his son Tejashwi, now the deputy CM, to focus on development.

“Make such preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha election that BJP is completely wiped out from Bihar,” Lalu said. Talking about the meeting, Nitish said, “We are together. We have been together for years. We have an old relationship.”

The two senior leaders also discussed the situation arising due to an arrest warrant pending against RJD leader Kartikeya Kumar. Kartikeya also met Lalu and sought his blessings. On Wednesday, the RJD chief said the allegations against Kartikeya are baseless.