Indo-Asian News Service
Patna, Feb 8: The crisis in Bihar’s ruling JD-U deepened Sunday with Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his rival camp led by Nitish Kumar deciding to parade legislators at the Raj Bhavan Monday afternoon to stake claim to power.
Manjhi, hand-picked by Nitish Kumar as his replacement last year after the Lok Sabha polls, has refused to quit. He called on Modi after attending the NITI Aayog meeting Sunday.
Janata Dal-United Bihar president Vashsisht Narain Singh told the media 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 RJD, before the Governor Monday,” he said.
The JD-U has 115 legislators in the 243-member Assembly, most of whom are reportedly with Nitish Kumar.
It is backed by 24 legislators of the RJD, five of the Congress, one from the CPI and two independents, making it 147 – more than the 122 needed for a simple majority.
Manjhi enjoys the support of a dozen JD-U legislators. He is banking on the support of the BJP, which has openly come out in his favour. The BJP has 88 legislators and it is supported by three independents.
Earlier, the JD-U submitted letters of support to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi staking claim to form the government, one day after Nitish Kumar was re-elected as the legislature party leader.
Singh said RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Congress’ Sadanand Singh also submitted letters of support for Nitish Kumar to the Governor.
Meanwhile, Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi accepted the regisnation of 20 Cabinet ministers who put in their papers Saturday, on the advice of chief minister Manmjhi.
