Patna,(BiharTimes): Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, had a 100- minute long meeting with his predecessor, Nitish Kumar, at the latter’s residence. 
Reports suggest that Rajya Sabha MP, R C P Singh, was also present on this occasion.
Political observers are of the view that the ‘truce’ was possible because RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, a couple of days back, strongly came in defence of the Mahadalit chief minister. Several other RJD leaders too had backed Manjhi. 
The Friday night meeting was possible after weeks of suspense. The national president of the party, Sharad Yadav, has perhaps little role to play to resolve this crisis. 
Manjhi too assured that he would not give any controversial statements. 
Earlier, Nitish had not been sharing dais with him. Not only that the state Janata Dal (United) chief, Bashistha Narayan Singh, had virtually been toeing his line and most of the ministers had been skipping CM’s functions and public meetings.
However, on Friday some of the ministers attended function with him and HRD minister Brishen Patel strongly denied that they were ignoring him.
With Manjhi being cold shouldered by Nitish and rival BJP hardening its stand––after showing some signs of softness towards him––the present chief minister was finding himself in a tight position. 
In such a situation he got support from an unexpected quarters, the Rashtriya Janata Dal. Its supremo, Lalu Prasad see no wrong in Manjhi appointing his son-in-law as the personal assistant though a circular prohibiting appointment of close relatives of chief minister, ministers, and chairpersons of boards and corporations was issued in May 2000 when his spouse, Rabri Devi, was the chief minister.
Needless to say it was the RJD, which came to the rescue of Manjhi during the trust vote after the latter became the chief minister. JD(U) was in turmoil then.
Another RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh was, like Manjhi, critical of the Speaker’s action against the four JD(U) MLAs.
RJD MP Pappu Yadav was the one who supported Manjhi when he called for chopping off hands of errant doctors––though he had latter clarified that he said so proverbially.
A couple of days back Pappu again came out with a statement saying that some persons in the JD(U) don’t want Manjhi to succeed.
Though RJD is a weak party in the state Assembly today yet JD(U)’s alliance with it is crucial. Nitish and Lalu were together in Delhi recently in a meeting of Janata Parivar. Lalu has reportedly put his feet down firmly on the issue of Manjhi, compelling Nitish to mend fences with his hand-picked CM, feel the commentators.