Patna,(BiharTimes): In a significant move the dissident RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav met prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday, the day his party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav married off his youngest daughter.

Incidentally, both Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar attended the marriage ceremony on Thursday evening and shook hands.Pappu, a known critic of chief minister Nitish Kumar, is opposing the JD(U)-RJD alliance. He repeatedly urged Lalu to back the outgoing chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. A day earlier he even offered to resign from his Madhepura seat.

However, Pappu denied that the meeting has anything to do with politics; but it was confined to development. Whatever be Pappu’s claim the truth is that the meeting set off speculations in the political circle. During the Vajpayee era when he was an Independent MP he developed a good relationship with the BJP, but soon distanced himself and in 2004 joined the RJD to contest election and enter Parliament.On Thursday Pappu said he is very satisfied with his meeting with the PM who reportedly offered him all support.Ironically, his wife Ranjita Ranjan, is a Congress party MP from Supaul. The husband-wife duo has their pockets of influence in north-eastern Kosi belt of Bihar.

But political observers are surprised over PM giving time to Pappu Yadav as several state BJP leaders still want to maintain a safe distance.In the past too Modi had surprised the state BJP leader when in 2013 he gave time to Sadhu Yadav, the brother-in-law of Lalu Prasad. Though Sadhu is not in the BJP he is still close to the party.

Analysts are of the view that with both Sadhu and Pappu close to the BJP it would be difficult for the saffron party to go to election by just accusing Lalu or Nitish for what its leaders call the Jungle Raj-2 in Bihar. Both Sadhu and Pappu are not known for good reputation.