Patna, July 22: The ongoing battle between ruling Grand Alliance partners in Bihar - the Janata Dal United (JDU) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) - spilled on to the streets with posters criticising the JDU surfacing at prominent locations in the city.

The developments are taking place on a day chief minister Nitish Kumar was in New Delhi, meeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over tea and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee at the latter's farewell dinner,

Bearing pictures of JDU national general secretary Shyam Rajak and spokespersons Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar and Ajay Alok, the posters said: "JDU ke pravakta anap shanap bayan de rahe hain, jabki Nitish ji ne mana kiya hai uske bawjood bhi ye log baaj nahi aa rahe hain (JDU spokespersons are issuing baseless statements despite Nitish forbidding them from doing so. They are not desisting from it.)"

Put up at the Income Tax Roundabout, Bihar legislature's boundary wall, main secretariat building's outer wall and a couple of other places, the posters printed in predominantly green colour also alleged that the JDU spokespersons and general secretary were issuing the statements at the behest of senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

Neither do the posters mention the name of individuals or organisations that have put them up, nor has any person or group claimed they were behind them.

Nobody saw who put up the posters, but people guessed the posters must have been put up during the wee hours, when most people in the city are asleep. The posters have come at a time when the Grand Alliance is facing a political crisis following CBI raids, earlier this month, on a dozen premises belonging to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family members in different parts of the country over alleged land deals in lieu of favours allegedly granted by him as Union railway minister.

The investigation agency booked Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and their youngest son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. The raids led to the JDU demanding that Tejashwi come clean before the public or quit - a demand that the RJD and the Congress have rejected.

Since the raids, JDU spokespersons and leaders have kept up the heat on Tejashwi, issuing statements about Nitish's "corruption-free" image and "zero tolerance" policy towards corruption. This has led to much friction between the JDU and the RJD over the past two weeks.

The poster incident has now led to another bout between the JDU and the RJD, with the Congress, a minor partner in the Grand Alliance, also jumping in to have its say.

Stung by the criticism, JDU spokespersons hinted that the posters were the handiwork of RJD leaders and a ploy to divert attention from the pressing need for Tejashwi to come clean on the issue of raids and unaccounted wealth.

"The RJD should first ensure that Tejashwi comes clean on the charges of corruption that the CBI has levelled against him with documentary evidence, and then indulge in proxy war by putting up posters," JDU spokespersons and MLC Neeraj Kumar said.

Neeraj said that those who were behind the posters should not shy away from revealing their names, as Bihar was under the rule of law and no harm will come to them.

"What we have said so far has been on the lines of our party, whose leader Nitish Kumar is well known across the country for good governance, progressive public welfare policies, and zero tolerance towards corruption," Neeraj said. "His governance is known for transparency. Neither have we said anything wrong about anybody, nor have we demanded anything undue from anybody."

Shyam Rajak, who is busy these days performing rituals to appease Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, said: "What should I say about the posters? What should I speak about childish behaviour and rubbish? My stature has not suffered in any way that I will react to such things."

Sanjay Singh, an MLC, who also happens to be the chief spokesperson for the JDU, said the posters were the handiwork of those who were opposed to the Grand Alliance.

He asserted that the alliance was unbreakable, but said: "We do not speak anything else except the truth, and we shall keep speaking the truth." A senior JDU leader told The Telegraph on condition of anonymity that the posters have come up as part of a political agenda of the RJD, which is unnerved after learning about Nitish's meeting with Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

"It's a ploy to sow the seeds of factionalism in our party by alleging that some of its leaders are working for a certain BJP leader, which is definitely not the case. The RJD leaders should understand that such cheap tricks don't work anymore," the JDU leader said.

Congress leader and MLC Dilip Kumar Chaudhary today jumped into the ongoing JDU-RJD war of words and demanded that JDU spokespersons "stop criticising and attacking RJD and Tejashwi, and instead ask Nitish what transpired between him and Tejashwi at their meeting. They should make it public and stop making useless, repetitive statements."

Dilip was immediately attacked by JDU spokesperson Ajay Alok, who questioned his credentials and pointed at his supposed proximity to Lalu despite being with the Congress.

"Who is Dilip? Is he the same guy who wears a collar provided by somebody else? He has no standing in the Grand Alliance," Ajay said.

Sources in the state cabinet told The Telegraph that Nitish was thoroughly dissatisfied after the recent meeting with Tejashwi, who could not proffer any suitable clarification to counter the CBI's allegations of ill-gotten assets.

The sources also pointed out that Nitish was keeping quiet so far in the hope that better sense will prevail among RJD leaders on the issue so that Tejashwi quits office but the alliance remains intact.