Senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi told ET’s Aman Sharma in an interview that colleagues of RJD chief Lalu Prasad twice met senior BJP leaders and sought their help in benami property cases against Prasad’s family. Modi, a former deputy chief minister, said the BJP refused the offer of the RJD leaders to destabilise the Nitish Kumar government if Prasad’s family is let off in the cases. Edited excerpts:From the very first day, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad’s was an uneasy alliance with no cohesion. Neither was there any chemistry or meeting of minds. In 17 months of the government, there have been so many hurdles. They have not been able to constitute any board or commission, only because of infighting between partners. All transfers and postings in Bihar are at a standstill for the last nine months because Lalu Prasad has a long wishlist of tainted officers.Knowing the temperament of Nitish and his working style, he can never be comfortable with Lalu. Nitish supported big moves of PM Narendra Modi like Pakistan trip, surgical strikes, demonetisation and now presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. He has given a message to the Congress – Don’t take me for granted.Income tax authorities have provisionally attached four properties lately — three of them are linked to Lalu’s son Tejashwi. As far as I understand the I-T process, the way they gave notice to Misa Bharti to explain how she acquired properties, it is likely a notice will be served to Tejashwi. Now, being a deputy CM, if he has to appear before I-T to explain his source of income, which will be impossible for him to do, he should resign. If he does not resign, Nitish will be compelled to expel him. So the way things are developing, especially regarding both of Lalu’s sons, I don’t see this government surviving for long. I know Nitish’s nature – after a point, it will be very difficult for him to continue with such tainted people in his cabinet.Somebody helped us from inside the Nitish government. In 2008, Shivanand Tiwari and Lalan Singh of JD (U) had also raised these issues on instructions of Nitish. Today, I can’t say if it has been with the knowledge of Nitish or without his knowledge, but we got many of the documents from inside the government. It is possible that such documents may have been given with Nitish’s knowledge as such information is usually not given directly but through some emissaries. Also, Lalu’s senior colleagues have met some senior leaders of the BJP in the government – not once but twice – and asked for their help in these benami property cases against Lalu’s family and promised that as a quid quo pro they will help the BJP in destabilising the Nitish government in Bihar. But the BJP leaders flatly refused saying they cannot help the RJD, as there cannot be any interference in the work of the agencies.LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan has already given an open offer to Nitish to come and join NDA – Paswan is a major constituent and a senior leader of NDA. As far as the BJP is concerned, if a situation arises, our parliamentary board will take a call. Nitish is calculating. He has opened a window for the BJP the way, when he was with the BJP, he opened a window for Congress by supporting Pranab Mukherjee for President.He does have an ambition to become a PM candidate in 2019 but he also knows his limitations. Being a regional leader, he will not be able to get more than 15-16 Lok Sabha seats to fight. Nitish had said in May that he is not in race to become the PM. JD (U) is also hurt by Congress not giving it a single seat in the UP election and not even speaking to Nitish about it – he had worked hard in UP for eight-nine months. Also, the kind of statement now issued by Ghulam Nabi Azad about Nitish Kumar – uske baad to kuchh bacha hi nahin hai (nothing is left after Azad’s statement). It was a deliberate statement to diminish status of Nitish who has to now decide ki apmaan ka ghoont pikar kab tak Lalu aur Congress ke kandhe pe chadhkar woh CM bane rahenge (till when will Nitish wish to suffer humiliation and stay as a CM with Lalu-Congress support)