Lalu Yadav Is 70 Years Old? Nitish Kumar Doesn't Quite Agree

Patna: The up-again-down-again relationship between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and alliance partner Lalu Yadav took a definite upturn as the veteran RJD leader turned 70 today. After a long time, the two leaders shared dais to inaugurate two mega bridges on the river Ganga. Though the opposition BJP said the inauguration was deliberately timed to mark Mr Yadav's birthday, Mr Kumar pointed out the road bridge was Mr Yadav's idea.

"People say Laloo-ji turned 70 today, but he hardly looks like one (a 70-year-old) as his enthusiasm and level of energy levels remain the same... the way we used to see during his youth  in the University," Mr Kumar said in his birthday wish for the alliance partner.

Once friends, the two leaders had turned bitter political rivals, before coming together again ahead of the 2015 assembly elections in the state to defeat the BJP. As he confirmed Mr Kumar as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance, Lalu - as he is popularly called by supporters - said he was ready to "drink all kinds of poison" to keep the BJP out of power in the state.

There have been speculations on how long the alliance will last - fueled lately by the strain in ties brought about by the multiple corruption allegations levelled by the BJP against Lalu's family. Last month, Mr Kumar broke his silence to back Lalu, saying "If the BJP has documents, then it should take legal recourse to prove their accusations".