After a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi declared that he would test his strength on the floor of the Assembly, a day after he refused to vacate in favour of former mentor and Janata Dal (United) leader, Nitish Kumar, who wants to return as Chief Minister.
“Support for the government will be tested on the floor of the House on February 20. I have no qualms in accepting support from any MLA,” Mr. Manjhi said, even as JD(U) State president Basistha Narayan Singh submitted a letter to the Governor’s office claiming the support of 130 MLAs for Mr. Kumar as Chief Minister. “Outspoken Dalit politicians were killed or sidelined, hence I kept a low profile for 35 years. They thought I would be a rubber stamp. When I try to correct this perception, I am accused of becoming too big for my boots,” Mr. Manjhi said.
A JD(U) Legislature Party meeting on Saturday elected Mr. Kumar as the leader in place of Mr. Manjhi. Though there is no finality on BJP support to Mr. Manjhi in a floor test, the saffron party that will make its first solo bid for power in the State later this year, is very keen on exploiting the crisis in the JD(U).
Cabinet expansion to woo MLAs
Mr. Manjhi said, “I will speak to the Governor in the next two days to expand the Cabinet.”
After meeting Mr. Modi, he said, “I have asked PM Modi to help us sort out the crisis in Bihar.”
The BJP which will make its first bid for power in the State, wants the Dalit votes that Mr. Manjhi can influence, but is wary of the baggage of misgovernance that he carries. Moreover, the party is yet to make sense of the impact of its decision to field an outsider Kiran Bedi as CM candidate in the Delhi Assembly elections last week. Mr. Manjhi’s strategy is to woo as many JD(U) MLAs as possible, by offering ministerial positions and then seal a deal with the BJP. The Chief Minister also said he would also seek the support of the RJD. A Manjhi supporter claimed that his faction had the support of 26 JD(U) MLAs so far. The RJD has 24, the Congress five and the CPI has one MLA supporting the Nitish Kumar faction of the JD(U), which claimed to have the support of 97 party legislators. In the current 233-member Assembly (10 seats are vacant), a party needs 117 MLAs to prove majority.
The BJP has 87 members. Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhury on Sunday recognised Nitish Kumar as JD(U) Legislature Party leader after the legislature party elected him to replace Mr Manjhi.
Mr. Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad are expected to meet the Governor on Monday. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who is in-charge of Bihar, is likely to reach Patna on Monday morning. Mr. Nitish Kumar has asked legislators of his faction to remain in the State capital on Monday “in all circumstances.” JD(U) sources said they feared Mr. Tripathi, a BJP nominee, might not be impartial and a march of the MLAs to the Governor’s residence may be on the cards.
Meanwhile, leaders of the rival JD(U) factions have started trading charges on putting pressure on their MLAs to get their support in the power tussle.
Former minister and JD(U) MLA of the Nitish camp, Bima Bharti, on Sunday lodged a police complaint against two Manjhi camp MLAs -- Vinay Bihari and Sumit Singh -- for allegedly threatening her. “They were putting pressure and issuing threat to support Jitan Ram Manjhi … but I don’t fear anyone,” said Ms. Bharti. Both the MLAs have denied the charge saying Ms. Bharti must be “under pressure” from somewhere else to level charges against them.
