Nitish Kumars Bihar rally marked by ally BJPs absence

March 17, 2013

Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal United (JDU) leaderNitish Kumar on Sunday raised his pitch for a demand for special category status for the state even as he praised the budget of the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at a rally organized by his party at the national capital's Ramlila Grounds.

While making references to 2014 and invoking the Bihari identity, Kumar cautioned that people will "use the opportunity' of 2014.The so-called rights rally did not see participation of any national or regional leaders from his biggest ally, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It was held amidst reports of strain in ties of JDU and India's principal opposition party.