Unmissable quotes: When Lalu Prasad Yadav & Nitish Kumar unleashed a 'war of words' on each other

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Bihar's former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is celebrating his 66th birthday today on Thursday, June 11.

This year, Bihar is all set to hold assembly elections and its politics may take a u-turn, after the results. The present political scenario in Bihar has taken a complete twist post alliance among the ruling JD(U), RJD and Congress.

Meanwhile, BJP is trying to prove itself lucky in Bihar by having a support from Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP). Fomer Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhji may also extend his support to BJP, in an attempt to corner Nitish Kumar.

Now, the bonhomie between he two arch-rivals, Lalu and Nitish have reached at such a level, that last week Lalu agreed to naming Nitish Kumar as chief ministerial face of the 'grand secular alliance' for Bihar polls, saying he was ready to drink "poison" to crush the "cobra" of communalism.

Earlier, Lalu was reluctant to project Nitish's name for the CM post, but to thrash out BJP, he compromised due to the political compulsions and as the need of the hour demanded.

Lalu, who became the chief minister of Bihar for the first time in 1990, had once called Nitish Kumar as, "an agent of communal forces". [Bihar assembly elections 2015: Will foes turned friends be able to corner BJP?]

Let's take a look at some of his quotes that he said on the 64-year-old JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar in the past, after ending the old acrimony.

Lalu's quotes against Nitish Kumar

Oct 11, 2007: "My party would organise a ''Chetavni rally'' to expose the failures of the Nitish Kumar government and also launch mass movement to ''bid farewell to the his government.''

"Nitish Kumar is creating stumbling blocks in the execution of railway projects and is trying to hinder the schemes on some pretext. It is unfortunate that the state had a Chief Minister like Nitish Kumar who had asked his bureaucrats to go slow in the implementation of railway projects.''

May 11, 2009: "I always said Nitish has 'teeth in his stomach'. Now people like Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who had given him the secular certificate, and others who favourably spoke of him will realise how secular he is. His 'secular facade' has fallen."

Sept 10, 2010: "Nitish Kumar has lost confidence...he is proving to be a ranchhor (battle-deserter) commander with the NDA defeat becoming certain in the coming elections."

Oct 2010: ""You claim that we have lost confidence...If you are confident, I dare both of you (Kumar and Modi) to contest from Raghopur and Sonepur Assembly constituencies against Rabri to test your popularity."

July 2011: Lalu had complained to the Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi about the state of affairs in Nitish Kumar-ruled Bihar.

Sept 20, 2012: "Nitish Kumar's statement (on the special status issue) is nothing more than a political stunt to stay in limelight. He has been changing colour like a chameleon."

Nov 25, 2012: "Nitish Kumar's report card is a 'wasteful talk'. The truth is that law and order and education system have crumbled in the state under the NDA government. Nitish should have sought apology in the report card over cases of rape of women."

Nov 29, 2012: "US magazine's praise for Nitish Kumar is a publicity stunt."

May 15, 2013: "Days of Nitish Kumar as Bihar CM are numbered and he "will soon be a history".

June 12, 2013: "Nitish Kumar always talked of secularism. The JD-U leaders, who always chant the secular mantra, should come clear."

June 16, 2013: "Nitish Kumar is an 'opportunist' whose opposition to Narendra Modi and communal forces was just a 'charade' with an aim to corner Muslim votes. Why did not he resign from NDA after Gujarat riot in 2002 like Ramvilas Paswan did?"

"Why did not he ordered a probe into Sabarmati train burning incident as a Railway minister in NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee?"

"It is very difficult to rely on people like Nitish Kumar. The people of the state are watching the entire "Ram lila" between JD(U) and BJP and would teach a lesson to them in coming elections."

Feb 25, 2014: "The Nitish Kumar government is killing democracy. It is breaking parties in Bihar. He gave bribes of crores of rupees. Kumar is eyeing RJD legislators and offering them lucrative posts to split the party."

"Nitish hatched a conspiracy with the speaker to break my party. But, it went wrong and the whole country has seen the conspiracy. The fight has begun, now we'll counter Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar bhaag gaya, Lalu Prasad jaag gaya."

May 18, 2014: "There is no question and no possibility of an alliance with JD-U."

Nitish Kumar's quotes against Lalu Prasad

Dec 3, 2007: "On one hand, Lau Prasad is trying to gain political mileage by fanning controversy over acquisition of land while on the other hand he is also blaming the NDA government for its failure in acquiring the plots of land for Railway projects." [Will Lalu-Nitish reunion bring ‘jungle-raj' back in Bihar?]

Sept 2010: "Lalu is a person of excessive credulous belief...I hardly care for his statement...I don't take what Lalu says seriously."

July 2011: "Lalu ji has not yet come out of the shock of his ouster from power. He cannot live without power just like a fish cannot survive without water."

May 7, 2012: "Lalu is a frustrated man and has mental bankruptcy."

May 15, 2013: "Lalu is badbola (one who speaks too much). We don't comment on people who speak too much. There are some people, who are in the habit of speaking something or the other all the time. I don't reply to them."