Nitish, Nitin attend Chirag's Sankranti feast

Patna, Jan 15 (PTI) Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar and BJP working president Nitin Nabin on Thursday attended a feast organised by Union minister Chirag Paswan on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

The 'Dahi-Chura Bhoj' was organised at the office of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Patna's Wheeler Road.

Among the other leaders who attended the feast were Union minister Nityanand Rai, Deputy CM Samart Choudhary, and state ministers Mangal Pandey, Ramkripal Yadav and Vijay Choudhry. Several MPs and MLAs of the NDA parties were also present.

"Makar Sankranti is a festival that brings a lot of warmth and joy. It brings happiness and prosperity. Bihar is moving towards prosperity," Paswan told reporters.

Asked about JJD founder Tej Pratap Yadav's complaint that he wanted to invite Paswan to the feast he hosted on Wednesday but could not get through, the Hajipur MP said, "I may not have been able to take his phone call because of pressing engagements. However, he is like a younger brother to me, and I have affection for him." Paswan was also asked about Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, not visiting his elder brother Tej Pratap's house for the feast, which was attended by their father Lalu Prasad, the RJD chief, despite his old age and ill health.

"These are family matters on which it will not be appropriate for me to comment. However, when the head of the family was there, it should be deemed to be sufficient," he said.

On speculations about former Union minister RCP Singh's return to the JD(U), the minister said, "They may be our alliance partners, but it's an internal matter of that party." Kumar, the longest serving CM of the state, also attended another feast, hosted by JD(U) MLA Chetan Anand, whose mother, Lovely Anand, is the MP from Sheohar. PTI NAC PKD SOM