The Left made it clear that it will not "oblige" the Congress this time while Nitish Kumar ruled out aligning with the Congress after the Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul Gandhi's overtures to the Left and JD(U) for post-poll options were rebuffed by them on Tuesday.
The Left made it clear that it will not "oblige" the Congress this time while JD(U) leader and chief minister Nitish Kumar, a key NDA ally, who was warmly praised by the AICC general secretary for development in Bihar ruled out aligning with the Congress after the Lok Sabha elections.
The good words Rahul had for Nitish rankled UPA allies RJD and LJP whose leaders appeared to be unhappy.
With poll results just less then two weeks away, the Left said the Congress had become "jittery" and insisted they were striving only for a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative coalition at the Centre.
The CPI-M said Rahul's confidence that the Left would support the Congress and back Manmohan Singh as prime minister was "misplaced."
"We are working for a non-Congress secular government," said CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat.
Claiming that Congress was "jittery" that it would not get the required numbers in these elections, CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said, "they are nervous about it... I don't think the Left will oblige them this time. We won't oblige them."
Nitish said he was thankful for Rahul's praise for his work but suggested no political significance be attached and scotched any speculation that he was drifting towards UPA.
A visibly irritated RJD strongman Lalu Yadav disagreed with Rahul to say "Nitish is not doing any good work" while LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan asked why had the Congress put up candidates against Nitish's JD(U) in the elections if Rahul feels so strongly for the chief minister.
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