United News Of India
Patna, Feb 20: In a day of fast-paced developments, Janata Dal (U) leader Nitish Kumar was Friday appointed the new Chief Minister of Bihar by Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi after incumbent Jitan Ram Manjhi resigned hours before he was to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly.
Kumar will be administered the oaths of office and secrecy on February 22 at 5 pm. This will be the fourth time that he will be at the helm of affairs in the state.
The Governor has given Kumar three weeks to prove his majority on the floor of the House, the JD(U) leader said after meeting Tripathi.
Kumar apologised for stepping down as Chief Minister in the wake of the BJP’s sweep in the general elections, paving the way for the assumption of power by Dalit leader and party colleague Manjhi.
Sources said Manjhi had recommended dissolution of the Assembly to pave way for fresh elections in a calculated move to scuttle Kumar’s plans to take over the state’s reins afresh.
Speaker Udai Narain Chaudhary later adjourned the Assembly sine die.
The address of the Governor to joint sitting of both Houses and the confidence motion to be presented by the chief minister in the Assembly were the important agenda Friday.
Manjhi, instead of reaching the House, went straight to the Raj Bhawan and submitted his resignation.
On the directive of the Governor, the sitting of both Houses were adjourned sine die.
Kumar said it was an emotional decision to resign as Chief Minister in May 2014. He said he would not commit such a mistake again and would rededicate himself to accelerating the pace of development of Bihar.
Reacting to Manjhi’s resignation, Kumar said he should have resigned much earlier.
The delay in his resignation caused an incident of the kind that was never witnessed in the history of parliamentary democracy, he said.
“The governor could not address the joint sitting of both Houses of the Bihar legislature on the first day of the budget session and it was adjourned sine die because of the unusual situation that arose following the resignation of Manjhi Friday,” he noted.
