Tejashwi finally meets Nitish Kumar to end crisis

Patna, July 18 (IANS) In their first interaction since the crisis broke out, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday night met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his official chamber and clarified his position on the CBI case against him.

Tejashwi Yadav had a closed door meeting with Nitish Kumar for nearly 40 minutes, an official in the Chief Minister's Office here said. He is believed to have presented the Chief Minister with a detailed defence of the charges against him.

According to officials, Tejashwi Yadav's elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who is Bihar Health Minister, and Congress state president Ashok Choudhary, who is Bihar Education Minister, were present during the meeting.

Bihar has been in the grip of a political crisis after the CBI registered a case against Tejashwi Yadav in a benami property case and also raided his premises earlier this month, leading to demands for his resignation. The Janata Dal-United, the major partner in the ruling Grand Alliance, has asked its Rashtriya Janata Dal partner to come clean on the allegations.

The Tuesday evening meeting between RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and the Chief Minister may help to end the crisis.

Senior JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi had earlier suggested that Tejashwi Yadav should meet Nitish Kumar, who is JD-U President, and clarify his stand on the CBI raids.