Patna, June 1: Lalu Prasad today softened his stand on the RJD's possible alliance with the JDU following the Congress making it official that it would prefer Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate to him.

"Sharad Yadav and I talked on the JDU-RJD alliance last night. The talks happened in a positive atmosphere. We want to settle the issue of seat-share among all the secular partners, including the RJD, JDU, Congress and NCP, soon as the elections are drawing close," Lalu told reporters.

The RJD chief, who had so far resisted accepting Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate, today sounded like toning down his stand for the first time. "The chief ministerial candidature is not that big an issue. It will also be sorted out once we sit together," the RJD boss said, slamming a gag on his party leaders against speaking on the merger or alliance.

"I have been authorised to speak on behalf of my party on the issue of merger. If my party leaders have to say something, they should tell me rather than speaking in public," Lalu said, referring to senior party leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh's repeated barbs at Nitish.

Lalu's measured articulations on the RJD-JDU relationship came after the state Congress president, Ashok Choudhary, said: "Nitish has carried out the development of the state. He is a good chief minister and can be a good chief minister in the future, too. Lalu has legal obstacles in the way of becoming the chief minister. In such a situation, the party (Congress) will like the alliance to be led by Nitish," Choudhary said.

Choudhary, who met Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, paid a visit to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today before issuing the statement. "The Congress will like its alliance partners to grow strong. At the same time, we will also like to gain in strength in the company of other secular parties," he said, hinting that the Congress would extract its pound of flesh from the RJD and JDU.

Nitish, on the other hand, resisted speaking on the alliance. "I have stated that the negotiation is in progress. As of now, I have nothing to add to what I have already said," Nitish told reporters on the sidelines of his weekly janata durbar. Appreciating the Congress's stand, Nitish said: "It will surely be a partner in the alliance."

On Raghuvansh's refusal to accept him as the chief ministerial candidate, Nitish said: "Many people are speaking. I shall not add to the number of speakers."