Lalu places Nitish on Bihar's throne, vows to demolish Modi sarkar

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad has declared that Nitish Kumar will continue as the Bihar chief minister despite his party emerging as the table topper, while he will launch a nation-wide stir against the "communal" Narendra Modi government.

Exultant after the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance appeared on course to a resounding victory, a jubilant Prasad claimed continuance of the Modi government will "break the nation into pieces".

Accompanied by a smiling Kumar, his foe-turned-ally, Prasad said, "We will continue with our fight. There will be such a long-term impact of Bihar results on the national politics that you cannot imagine. The Modi government, the RSS government will be demolished. I will also go to Varanasi (Modi's constituency) with lantern (RJD's election symbol)".

Even as the RJD emerged as the single largest party, having won nine seats and leading in another 71, Prasad said it was a victory of the grand alliance and not of one party.

"If anyone wants to sow the seeds of division among us, we won't let that happen. We are not going to be divided for the next ten lives," he said in his inimitable style amid loud cheers from workers and supporters.

On his nation-wide stir, Prasad said he will take together farmers, labourers and the deprived sections "to uproot the communal Modi government". "They have been chased out of Bihar."

The grand alliance government will work for the fast development of Bihar and put it on the national map in economic progress, he said.