Left in the cold, Ajit Singh's back in NDA

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh is back in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

The move apparently is the outcome of the United Progressive Alliance denying him a berth in the Union Cabinet.

The 70-year-old leader attended a meeting of the floor leaders of NDA allies in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the Parliament chamber of Opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani on Thursday.

The only ally that abstained from the meeting

was the Telengana Rashtra Samithi, BJP spokesman Sushma Swaraj disclosed to media persons.

Despite contesting the Lok Sabha election alongside the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Ajit Singh -- son of late former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh -- tried to switch to the winning side as he has been doing in the past.

He had approached the Congress to extend the support of his five parliamentarians. The Congress, however, wanted him to merge his party with it, which was unacceptable to him.