Patna: Defending his government’s decision to invite Lalu Prasad for a official function Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Prasad is a leader of ruling coalition.

“BJP leaders are raising questions over Prasad's presence at the programme. Why should he (RJD chief) not come? He is a former chief minister and a leader of the ruling coalition," Kumar asserted while addressing a function at Raghopur.

Kumar said he was following the "gatbandhan (alliance)dharma  in letter and spirit" and his dispensation consults partners RJD and Congress on every decision.

State BJP leaders often accused Lalu Prasad of acting like “Super CM” without any official designation in the current Bihar government.

Responding on the criticism of BJP leaders that the foundation stone for the  six lane bridge across the Ganga near Patna  was being laid for a second time only to oblige Lalu Prasad as this area falls under the constituency of deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav Chief minister said this programme is related to work start.

Lalu along with his two minister sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap attended this event.  However he said,” I have  told not to put my name on the foundation stone”.

Raising the issue of extending invitation to Lalu for  government programme senior BJP leader Sushil Modi said,”"What is the rationale behind inviting in an official programme a person who is neither a minister nor an MP or MLA and is out on bail in a fodder scam case after his conviction?"

Asserting his wholehearted support to Nitish government Lalu said,” "If Nitish Kumar wishes, then this government will run not only for the next five years but for 20 years or more”

“The 9.76-km bridge over the Ganga, when completed, will connect Kachchi Dargah in Patna to Bidupur in Raghopur will help in establishing new satellite cities near Patna” said deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav.

Nitish also used the occasion for hitting out NDA government  for not selecting any city from the state in the first list of Smart cities by saying,” “Bihar and UP gave 104 Lok Sabha seats to BJP to form its government at the Centre, but they are so ‘Ehsaan pharamosh’ (ungrateful) that no city of the two states figures in the list of 20 smart cities. “Initially they had promised for100 cities and now they scaled down to 20 only” he added.While  RJD Chief said he was always in favour of Smart villages instead of cities.