Patna, July 9: The RJD, following the NDA split, finds itself as the punching bag with both former allies, JD(U) and BJP, accusing each other of aligning with their former common foe.

“It at least proves that both the political parties consider us a major political force,” joked an RJD MP.

The intense fight between the JD(U) and the BJP has resulted in marginalisation of Lalu Prasad’s party even in the opposition space. However, when chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday accused the BJP and RJD of trying to forge a seat-sharing alliance, RJD leaders expressed shocked. “We are amazed. RSS and BJP blood does not run in our veins. It runs in the veins of Nitish Kumar. Our leader Lalu Prasad has never compromised with communal forces. We have suffered owing to our unwavering commitment to secularism,” said RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbey.

Following the split, the fight between the RJD and the JD(U) is for bagging substantial Muslim votes, which have so far largely remained with Lalu. The JD(U), after breaking up with the NDA owing to elevation of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, is desperately hoping for a major shift in the Muslim vote towards it.

“Nitish is trying to mislead the Muslims. The Muslims are not fools. It is Nitish Kumar who went to the BJP camp in 1995 and said he felt at home. It is Nitish who allowed a RSS camp to be held at Gandhi Maidan. It is Nitish who invited the RSS chief home for dinner and remained silent as a railway minister in the Godhra incident,” said RJD senior leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui.

“That both BJP and RJD called a bandh on the Mahabodhi temple the same day was a coincidence. We do not plan our agitations in accordance with the convenience of JD(U),” said an angry RJD MP, Ram Kripal Yadav.

The RJD is questioning Nitish’s secular credentials owing to his closeness to L.K. Advani. “The JD(U) is keeping its option open. Their only demand was that Advani be made the prime ministerial candidate instead of Narendra Modi,” said a senior RJD leader.

The Dal, on the other hand, stuck to its stand. “It was not a coincidence that Narendra Modi called up Lalu after the latter met with a minor car accident. If the telephone calls of Lalu are checked, it would be found that he holds regular talks with Modi,” alleged Dal spokesperson Sanjay Singh.