Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and poll consultant Prashant Kishor held a meeting in the state capital on Tuesday.

The meeting, said to be facilitated by Rajya Sabha member Pavan K. Varma, comes days after Nitish and Kishor publicly criticised each other.

The meeting held at the chief minister’s official residence had been kept under the radar. However, after the media got wind of the meeting, Nitish and Kishor said they had indeed met.

Asked about the meeting, Nitish laughed and said on Wednesday: “He (Kishor) met, so you should ask him. There was nothing special….”

Prashant Kishor. File picture

“We talked in general. There was nothing like we (Nitish and Kishor) have to do this or we have to do that. There were no special talks. It was a simple, basic meeting. I request that you all should ask him (Kishor). What is the problem in meeting anyone? We have old ties. If somebody wants to meet me why shouldn’t I meet him?” JDU leader Nitish said when asked whether he and Kishor were again coming together.

Kishor, planning a plunge in electoral politics, told reporters that his meeting with Nitish on September 13 should be seen as a “socio-political courtesy call”.

“Nitish Kumar is the chief minister of Bihar. I have been active in Bihar since May and meeting him personally was always in the picture, but it could not take place earlier due to time constraints. I put forth my view on prohibition in the state during the meeting and said that it was clearly ineffective on the ground.”