Patna: The three-day-old crisis in the Samata Party triggered by the resignation of Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and his stubborn refusal to take it back is over, Samata Party president George Fernandes said on July 17.

"The crisis is over. Everything has been resolved and I am sure Nitish Kumar will attend his office today," Fernandes said.

Fernandes, who is also the convenor of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), said, there were some misunderstandings in the Samata parliamentary party that led to the resignation of the Railway Minister. As these (misunderstandings) have been resolved there is no reason why Kumar will not not resume his duties as Railway Minister.

Asked if the two expelled MPs Raghunath Jha and Brahmanand Mandal, strident critics of Kumar, would also be taken back into the party fold now now that the misunderstandings have been cleared, Fernandes parried a direct reply saying, certain things do happen in a party and there are always avenues to find a solution.

Kumar had on July 14 resigned from the Cabinet citing sharp differences in the parliamentary party as the reason but Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did not accept his resignation.

Asked to comment on his own statement that there was rampant indiscipline in the Samata Party, Fernandes said, there is indiscipline at all levels in our country and political parties are no exception.

When quizzed about why he had not taken action against the party MLAs in Bihar loyal to Kumar who had adopted a censure motion against him a couple of months ago accusing him of promoting indiscipline, Samata Party president shot back saying, "I don't want to create a fresh crisis."

PTI