New Delhi, Dec. 27: The Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal today shared the platform with the Opposition against demonetisation, distancing from the Janata Dal United yet again and indicating the widening chasm between the Bihar Grand Alliance partners.

RJD MP Jayprakash Narayan Yadav sat along with Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and other Opposition leaders as a representative of Lalu Prasad, strengthening the anti-demonetisation brigade, while partner JDU was conspicuous by its absence at the Constitutional Club of India. Through his representative, Lalu, yet again, underlined his closeness to the Congress while the absence of any JDU leader put a question mark over Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's political position.

Nitish, who had propelled onto the national horizon as a possible challenger to Narendra Modi post the grand victory in the Bihar elections last year, has apparently slipped from the Opposition space. He is perceived to have veered closer to Modi, the leader he had opposed to break ties with the BJP.

Modi had appreciated Nitish's support for demonetisation while addressing his party MPs on the last day of Parliament, seeking to put the JDU boss on his side. He had thanked Nitish and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and urged party leaders to take them along in the fight against corruption and black money. Nitish had also supported the army's surgical strike across the Line of Control in Kashmir.

JDU's principal general secretary K.C. Tyagi denied the perception of Nitish moving closer to the BJP and blamed his party's absence from the Opposition meet today on "Congress strategists" and Mamata Banerjee's hurtful comment against Nitish.

"We did not break Opposition unity. Congress strategists broke Opposition unity by not talking to Nitish Kumar before the meet. Mamata Banerjee's comment in Patna calling Nitish a traitor has also hurt us," Tyagi said and added that not only the JDU but many other Opposition parties had not attended today's meet due to lack of coordination.

He strongly denied the perception of Nitish moving closer to the BJP and said the JDU president continues to oppose the divisive agenda of his former ally. Tyagi pointed out that on issues the Grand Alliance partners have the right to take a different stand. He said Nitish would review his stand on demonetisation after the expiry of 50 days and indicated that the Bihar chief minister could slam the government for its failure to recover black money and fight corruption.

"The JDU, like many other parties, has supported demonetisation but slammed the implementation. After 50 days Nitish will review the implementation and take a stand," Tyagi said.

Tyagi's stand notwithstanding, the JDU has clearly kept away from actively opposing demonetisation, in contrast to the RJD that is going all out against the move. In Parliament, the JDU was with the Opposition but it was seen as more of a pro-active move by former party chief Sharad Yadav. While the RJD has been going all out holding protests across Bihar over demonetisation, the JDU continues to be silent.