JD(U) ready to welcome Shivanand: Nitish

Patna, Nov 13 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said his party is ready to welcome Shivanand Tiwari if he comes back following his resignation from the RJD.

''He is most welcome whenever he plans to come back,'' Mr Kumar told mediapersons here, adding the JD(U) members always felt his absence.

''Now it is up to Mr Tiwari to decide his future strategies,'' he said adding Mr Tiwari was one of the founder members of the Samata Party, later rechristened as the JD(U).

Mr Kumar said, ''No JD(U) member ever tried to counter Mr Tiwari's statements as the party always respected him.'' Following internal bickerings, Mr Tiwari had left the JD(U), the then Samata Party and joined the RJD.

Mr Tiwari, a close aide of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, was also known as ''trouble shooter'' of the RJD.

However, the relations between them gradually soured after Mr Prasad backed former RJD Minister Dadan Pahalwan in Mr Tiwari's constituency. The political relations with Mr Prasad further worsened leading to the resignation of Mr Tiwari from the RJD.

UNI RS JYN PA HT1930