Amit Shah meets Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over breakfast in Patna; duo reportedly discussed 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Patna: BJP national president Amit Shah on Thursday had a brief meeting with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over breakfast, during which the two leaders are understood to have discussed the prevailing political situation in view of the Lok Sabha polls due next year.

Shah arrived in Patna from Ranchi on Thursday morning and was given a warm welcome at the airport by BJP workers and senior leaders, including party state president Nityanand Rai.

This is the BJP chief’s first visit to the state since the dramatic political realignment of last year when Kumar, the JD(U) national president, walked out of the Grand Alliance which included the RJD and the Congress, and returned to the NDA.

Refusing to take queries from journalists, Shah drove straight to the state guest house where he met Kumar, in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, BJP’s national general secretary in-charge for Bihar Bhupendra Yadav and Rai, over a simple breakfast of “poha”, Bihari dishes made of “sattu”, fruits, lassi and buttermilk.

Shah is scheduled to hold meetings with party functionaries during his day-long visit and meet Kumar again over dinner before retiring for the day.

The BJP chief’s visit to Bihar and his interactions with Kumar is expected to bring about a broad understanding between the saffron party and the JD(U) over the issue of seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls.