PATNA: Amid unconfirmed reports of likely split in the state Congress, the Bihar JD (U) on Thursday extended an open invite to Congress MLAs to join the ruling party.The JD (U) move comes amid reports that a section of Congress legislators are sulking at the party leadership’s decision to continue its alliance with scam-tainted RJD chief Lalu Prasad.Lalu, however, did not see the development as a threat to his politics. “State Congress leaders are creating a nuisance by fighting among themselves. How important are they? I don’t take notice of these ‘chirkuts’. I recognise only Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as they are leading the Congress,” Lalu said before leaving for Ranchi on Thursday morning to appear in a CBI court in connection with a fodder scam case.According to reports, a section of Congress MLAs and MLCs want the party to sever ties with RJD. They are also learned to have formally made such a plea to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi during one-to-one meeting with him on September 6 and 7.Though most MLAs reportedly underlined the need for the party to go alone in Bihar, several MLAs are believed to be keen to side with CM Nitish Kumar.Congress has 27 MLAs in the 243-member Lower House and six MLCs in the 75-member Upper House.JD (U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh on Thursday said Congress legislators knew it well that they didn’t have a political future in the company of Lalu. “Our doors are open for them,” he said.Reacting sharply to the JD (U) move, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee member V K Thakur said the JD (U) should merge with Congress to re-prove its credentials as a secular party. “Nitish has spelt doom for all the JD (U) leaders by allying with BJP,” Thakur said and advised Nitish to keep off the internal matters of Congress.

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