Patna: Amid deepening political crisis in Bihar, Janata Dal (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar will on Monday stake his claim to the chief minister’s post and parade the MLAs in his support before the state’s Governor this afternoon.
Manjhi, who was hand-picked by then chief minister Nitish Kumar as his replacement last year after the Janata Dal-United’s rout in the Lok Sabha polls, has refused to quit. In New Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog meeting yesterday, Manjhi also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi but said no politics were discussed in the meeting which lasted 40 minutes.
Addressing a press conference later, he said, “I did not discuss politics with him. Modiji has done some good work for Bihar and we thanked him for that. Manjhi also claimed that he will prove his majority in the State Assembly on February 20, and step down only if he fails.
“On the floor, whoever gives us support we will take it. I will not resign from the chief minister’s post,” he said, adding: “They (JD-U) had this misunderstanding that they will make me do whatever they want me to do”. He termed Nitish Kumar “power hungry” and said he showed his real face when he humiliated him, a Mahadalit.
In response, JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said that Manjhi was speaking the language of the Bharatiya Janata Party by attacking Nitish Kumar, who picked him up for the top post. “Manjhi has forgotten that he was nominated by Nitish Kumar,” he said.
Nitish Kumar to meet governor to stake claim to form government JD-U’s Bihar unit president Vashsisht Narain Singh told reporters that his party would form a new government in the state under Nitish Kumar’s leadership with the backing of the Congress and Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal.
We will parade 130 MLAs, including those of the Congress and the RJD, before the governor on Monday,” he said. The JD-U has 115 legislators in the 243-member assembly, most of whom are reportedly with Nitish Kumar.
JD-U president Sharad Yadav, in a letter in Manjhi, has asked the chief minister to resign.
Yadav said that as Manjhi no longer enjoyed the support of majority of party legislators and the legislature party has re-elected Nitish Kumar as its leader, he should resign. Earlier, the JD-U legislators submitted letters of support for Nitish Kumar to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi staking claim to form the government.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui of the RJD and Sadanand Singh of the Congress also submitted letters of support for Nitish Kumar. The governor should invite Nitish Kumar to form the government, he said, adding, “Any delay to invite Nitish Kumar will encourage horse-trading.” Tripathi is currently in Kolkata as he is also the West Bengal Governor.
Bureau Report
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