After meeting the Bihar Governor, Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday said he wanted to have a secret ballot to prove majority in the JD (U). He also called Nitish Kumar’s election as leader of the party in the State legislature "illegal and unconstitutional.”
“We have support of MLAs to prove our majority…the honourable Governor may call us anytime to prove the majority but the election to prove majority should be through secret ballot”, said Mr. Manjhi after coming out of the Raj Bhawan.
Attacking his mentor-turned-rival Nitish Kumar he called his election as the party legislature leader “illegal and unconstitutional”. “The whole election process was illegal as except me no one has the right to call such a meeting”, Mr. Manjhi said.
“How can one who is not a member of the State Assembly be elected as leader of the State Legislature?”, asked Mr. Manjhi. Nitish Kumar is not an MLA but a member of the state Council.
Meanwhile, JD-U MLA Rajiv Ranjan, who has been made Chief Whip of the party by Mr. Manjhi, has said that he would issue a whip for all party MLAs to come to the party legislature meeting called on February 20 by Mr. Manjhi.
“I’ll issue the whip two days before the meeting and if any MLA will defy the whip I’ll take stern action against him”, he said.
Published - February 09, 2015 04:38 pm IST
