Patna, July 1: The RJD today invited its cadres to party chief Lalu Prasad's 10 Circular Road residence on July 5 - the party's 21st foundation day - to discuss the August 27 anti-BJP rally at Gandhi Maidan.

The move led to speculation among party leaders whether chief minister Nitish Kumar will join the rally, given the recent developments in the Grand Alliance vis-à-vis the presidential election. The JDU is supporting former governor and NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind while the RJD and the Congress are backing Meira Kumar.

The RJD will observe its foundation day around 11am at the party office and later MLAs and MLCs will gather at Lalu's residence at 3pm. RJD insiders said the meeting has been called to discuss Lalu's August 27 rally and the political scenario over the presidential candidate and GST. Lalu called the party's state unit president, Ram Chandra Purbey, at his residence this morning and directed him to chalk out a plan to make the August 27 rally a success.

Purbey interacted with journalists later in the afternoon and said the meeting has only been called to discuss the rally. "The meeting at Lalu ji's residence has been called to discuss the rally and preparations to make it successful," Purbey said. "RJD MLAs and MLCs and the party's youth and student wings will attend the meet. Heads of the party's different cells have also been invited, apart from district in-charge and block presidents."

The party's state vice-president, Ashok Kumar Singh, accompanied Purbey.

Lalu is organising a "BJP Bhagao Desh Bachao" rally with much fanfare, inviting all leaders of the Opposition party. He has personally invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to the rally. He has even announced that if Sonia cannot attend the rally on health grounds, either Rahul or Priyanka Gandhi will attend. Mamata has already said she will attend.

Purbey said Lalu has also invited Nitish to the rally. Nitish had said he would attend the rally but that was before the presidential candidate's name was announced.

"Nitish ji had said he would attend the rally, long ago when there was no political crisis in the state. But today the scenario is different," a senior JDU lawmaker said on condition of anonymity. "Nitishji did not attend the opposition meeting called by Sonia Gandhi, neither did he support the Opposition's candidate in the presidential election. Even on the GST issue, Nitish not only supported the Centre but also sent party representatives to attend the midnight session in the Central Hall of Parliament while the Congress and RJD boycotted it."