Bihar Chief Minister and BJP ally Nitish Kumar today said that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav can get him killed but cannot make any other difference to him. Lalu Prasad reached Bihar on Sunday after a gap of three years. He was convalescing in Delhi after being released from prison in a fodder scam case. Prasad will be campaigning for the RJD candidates in Bihar bypolls to be held on October 30.

When asked about Prasad’s ‘visarjan’ remark, Nitish Kumar said laughing, “Chhodiye na, kar den, goliye marwa den. Sabse achha yahi hoga. Baaki kuchh nahi kar sakte hai wo. Agar chahen to goli marwa sakte hai, aur kuchh nahi kar sakte hai, samajh gaye na (Leave it, let him do, can get me shot. It will be best thing (for him). He can’t do anything else. If he wants, he can get me shot, can’t do anything else, understand).”

Lalu Yadav today said that he missed two elections due to his illness and prison term. “I had missed two elections due to my illness and detention. The love of Bihar helped me to recover from my illness. I will be campaigning at Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur on October 27….I know Tejashwi is campaigning in both places and is doing well…I will ensure ‘visarjan’ (immersion of the NDA),” he said.

Taking another jibe on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav said, “Nitish Kumar has been eulogised by PM Modi and BJP. Everyone was sloganeering ‘desh ka PM kaisa ho, Nitish kumar jaisa ho‘ (A PM should be like Nitish Kumar). He was being touted as PM material…such was the arrogance and greed.”

On the question of alliance with the Congress, Lalu Yadav said, “Alliance is formed with like-minded people, secular forces. At the state level also, we formed an alliance with Congress, Left and other parties…The prime role should be that of Congress. Has anyone helped Congress more than us… It’s an old party, an all-India party, we still consider them so.”

The remarks can be seen as a softening of the RJD’s stance against the Congress. A few days ago, Lalu Yadav had launched a scathing attack on Congress over the fielding of candidates in bypolls. Both, the RJD and the Congress are contesting the bypolls separately.