Tejashwi Prasad Yadav

For months, several party leaders have suggested the possibility of RJD joining hands with JD(U). Tejashwi Yadav has now rejected this

The absentees also included Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav an MLA and eldest daughter Misa Bharti, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha.

The death toll in Bihar flood rose to 97 on July 20, as over 69 lakh people were affected in 12 districts.

It could be an indication that all is not well with the party that had ruled Bihar for more than a decade and still has the largest number of members in the state assembly.

They, however, did not specify as to whether Yadav offered to resign on Thursday, when the RJD heir-apparent made his first appearance in the monsoon session of the state assembly, which has been underway since June 28.

Kumar's Janata Dal (United) had refused to join the government at the Center after the BJP offered a "symbolic" ministerial berth to its allies.

Alleging that parivarwad (family politics) has cost the party most, Yadav, RJD MLA from Gaighat assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district, claimed the party will break if his demand is not fulfilled.

His remarks come ahead of the seventh and the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19 when polling will be held in eight constituencies in Bihar -- Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jahanabad.

Addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh Saturday, the prime minister aggressively pitched his backward caste identity, declaring that he was not just an OBC, but was "born" into the "most-backward caste".

Gandhi addressed four election rallies so far in the state in Purnea (on March 23), Gaya (April 9), Katihar (April 10) and Supaul (April 20), but Tejashwi Yadav did not share the stage with the Congress president which was taken as a signal of fissure within the opposition alliance.

'The PM was there in Araria when the notice barring people from meeting Lalu Prasad was issued on last Saturday', Tejashwi said.

As per the Mahagathbandhans seat sharing formula, the Congress got seven seats, including the Chatra seat, the JMM four while the Jharkhand Vikas Party (Prajatantrik) got two seats and the alliance left Palamau seat to the RJD.

It was our Paltu chacha who used to say that he would never ally with BJP come what may (even if he has to bite the dust). Now it is your turn to make him (Nitish) bite the dust by pressing the hand symbol (Congress symbol) on EVM on April 18, Tejashwi Yadav said.

"Hope the DNA episode were discussed. And explanations offered that the words had been uttered unwittingly," RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav told reporters here when asked what he thought of the rally where Modi, Kumar and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan put up a joint show of strength for the NDA.

Rabri Devi was fielded from the seat in 2014 but she lost to BJPs Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Prasad has represented Chapra, the name by which the parliamentary segment was previously known, a number of times.

The sudden development comes as a major embarrassment to the party which has been beset by speculations of fierce rivalry between Tej Pratap and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav.

Sharad Yadav had floated his own party in May last year after breaking off from the parent Janata Dal (United), led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

The RJD is yet to complete its seat-sharing talks with smaller allies and the Left parties.

With the passing away of BJP MP from Begusarai Bhola Singh in October 2018, the saffron party is mulling over fielding Union Minister Giriraj Singh from the seat

Addressing a press conference here, Yadav said an application moved in a special POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court in Muzaffarpur by an accused in the case carries "serious allegation" against the chief minister.