JD-U claims Lalu gravitating towards BJP

The Janata Dal-United on Sunday claimed there was no doubt left that Lalu Prasad would support Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate as the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader was "panicky" due to Congress' inclination towards arch-rival Nitish Kumar.

"The RJD chief's political line is becoming clear now. After Congress showed inclination towards Nitish Kumar after split in NDA, Prasad grew panicky and has found an alternative in Narendra Modi," Sanjay Jha, senior JD-U leader and a close confidante of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, told PTI.

Jha's remarks came after Parsad reportedly cautioned secular forces of a "Narendra Modi wave" while asking them put up a united front yesterday.

Lalu Prasad, the JD-U leader claimed, has been directed by his religious guru, whom he visited at his ashram in Mirzapur on Saturday, to support Modi as PM candidate.

"The RJD chief has himself said that he is a strong follower of Pagla Baba. So can he say no to his direction to support Narendra Modi as PM candidate?" he said.

The bonhomie between the two leaders has been in the public domain in recent days. Modi was the first to telephone Prasad to enquire after his health following a minor accident he had met while going to Raghopur recently, he said.

Referring to the JD-U- BJP, he said BJP had been looking for a partner in the politically crucial state of Bihar and found Prasad as a friend.

Besides, Ram Jethmalani, who is fighting for Prasad in the fodder scam case, had said that he would ask his RJD client to support Modi for PM position, he claimed.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken of the alleged growing closeness between RJD and BJP post the NDA split citing the bandh observed by the two parties after the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya and the death of 23 children after eating poisonous midday meal in a Chhapra school.

Prasad had on Saturday said that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader L K Advani will never become the prime minister of the country.

"Modi and Advani can never become the prime minister in their lifetime. Secular forces in this country would never allow the saffron outfit to come to power," he had said.