Nitish lost credibility the day he joined Lalu: BJP

New Delhi, Sept 3: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his credibility the day he joined hands with RJD chief Lalu Prasad whose DNA has started having an effect on him, BJP said today.

"The day Nitish Kumar joined hands with Lalu Prasad he lost his credibility. Lalu's DNA has started having an influence on Nitish Kumar's DNA ever since, going by the language and speech of Bihar Chief Minister," Union Minister and senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

Rudy said Samajwadi Party's storming out of the anti-BJP 'grand alliance' has made it clear that no party wants to stand with a losing coalition. He also accused Nitish of dividing Muslims and Dalits in Bihar and said the people of the state will this time vote on the issue of development and not secularism or caste and religious divide.

The BJP leader presented before the media a purported video of Nitish Kumar in which the JD(U) leader was shown using "harsh" words against teachers at a public event in Samastipur. "Nitish is speaking in the manner in which Lalu used to speak. His behaviour shows the effect of Lalu's DNA on him," the Union minister said.

The reason cited by Samajwadi Party for quitting the alliance was "very petty", he said, adding Mulayam Singh Yadav's party had chosen that course as it realised the coalition lacked strength. "Samajwadi Party's decision to part ways with JD(U)-RJD- Congress combine reflects the unrest and panic in opposition.

No party will hold ground in Bihar against the BJP, especially after successful rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We feel that it is not a question of five seats. This is the result of poor crowds at their rally at Gandhi Maidan and Samajwadi Party saw this and realised that the alliance will not work as it does not have much strength," Rudy said.

He said the alliance was formed in Bihar to stop BJP-led NDA from coming to power. First the NCP walked out of the alliance and now the SP, he said. The Union Minister said RJD leader Raghunath Jha, a prominent leader in Bihar, has quit, reflecting the "panic" in he alliance.

Taking a dig at Kumar for announcing a 'vision document', Rudy wondered if Bihar was being run by him so far "without any vision".

PTI