Nitish hosts tea party for VIP guests, Venkaiah absent

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today hosted a tea party for all guests who attended his swearing-in ceremony but no BJP representative was present at the party.

Among those who attended Kumar’s tea party held at his official residence were Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, former Prime Minister H D Devegowda, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, JD(U) President Sharad Yadav and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

However, senior BJP leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who attended Kumar’s oath-taking after being deputed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was conspicuous by his absence at the tea party as he left for the airport straight from the venue of the swearing-in function.

Kumar personally received each guest and saw them off after the nearly hour-long tea party.