Efforts by Samata Party President George Fernandes to mollify an angry Nitish Kumar failed today as the former railway minister rejected all requests to withdraw his resignation from the Union Cabinet.

Nitish Kumar resigned from the Cabinet on Monday.

After a two-hour meeting with Fernandes on Wednesday morning, Kumar told PTI there was "no change" in his position and he would not return to Rail Bhavan.

On Tuesday, in an exclusive interview to rediff.com's Tara Shankar Sahay, Nitish Kumar said there was no question of withdrawing his resignation. "I will work without ministerial position or party responsibility," he had said. "In this way, it will solve everybody's problem in the party. I will also be a free bird. Everybody will be satisfied."

"There is no change in the position," Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday. He said he would stay away from his ministry. "There is no question of my going to Rail Bhavan," he said.
    

Fernandes went to persuade Kumar personally after his phone calls failed to pacify the Samata leader who resigned citing sharp differences in the Samata Parliamentary Party as the reason.

PTI, rediff Delhi Bureau