Last week, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary and his brother-in-law called on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for three hoursat his official residence in Patna. The meeting was focused on the proposed RLD tie-up with the JD(U). Since Nitish has national ambitions and wants his party to make its presence felt outside Bihar,he wants to forge an equation with Ajit Singh to benefit from the latter's vote bank in the Jat belt of western Uttar Pradesh. But Ajit Singh wants his pound of flesh in return and is demanding a Rajya Sabha seat. This has put Nitish in a dilemma, since the JD(U) can elect only two Rajya Sabha MPs from Bihar in July, when the seats fall vacant. Both JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and party spokesperson K C Tyagi, who has become extremely close to Nitish of late, are strong contenders. One of them would have to be dropped to make place for Ajit Singh. Nitish wants to persuade ally Lalu Prasad to support Sharad Yadav since the RJD has enough votes for two seats. But Lalu's daughter, Misa Bharti, is insistent that she get the seat even as her mother is slotted to get the other.