Signs of rift? Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav issues ads without photo of Nitish Kumar

PATNA: BJP has alleged that differences between coalition partners RJD and JD-U are widening after recent advertisements issued by Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) had blacked out chief minister Nitish Kumar and featured only deputy CM and road minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

"Never during my tenure of over seven years as a minister in Nitish Kumar government did I issue an ad without the CM's picture. As per the state's policy, the CM's photo is necessarily published in all the ads related to the inauguration of road and bridges," said BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav.

"People are talking about lack of coordination between JD(U) and RJD," the former road minister said.

However, a BSRDC official said the advertisements were issued as per the Supreme Court's order dated March 18. "Since the SC has allowed the use of the picture of only the minister concerned, the CM's picture was not used," the official claimed.

The JD(U) played down the criticism saying the BJP was trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. "The ads must have been issued with the consent of the CM. We are not like the saffron party where no one except Narendra Modi is the only one who is the authority," JD(U) state vice-president Nihora Prasad Yadav told TOI.