As the countdown begins to the floor test in the Bihar Assembly on Friday, rival Janata Dal (U) camps of Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his predecessor, Nitish Kumar, claim to have the numbers to win the trust vote.
The BJP, at a meeting of its MLAs on Wednesday, decided to support the Manjhi government, sources said. The party will make a formal announcement on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister said he had the support of MLAs from all political parties. His Cabinet colleague and loyalist, Narendra Singh, said they had the support of 140 MLAs. Speculation is rife that Mr. Manjhi, in the event of failing to prove a majority, will float a party with Rashtriya Janata Dal and JD(U) MLAs who support him and contest the Assembly election in November. Regular meetings Pappu Yadav, RJD MP from Madhepura, have with Mr. Manjhi have fuelled the speculation.
Many believe that the alliance between Mr. Pappu Yadav, an influential backward caste leader, especially in the Kosi region, and Mr. Manjhi, with his Dalit vote bank, could be formidable. “The BJP too might be working on this possibility as it would ultimately benefit them electorally,” a senior leader told The Hindu .
Earlier in the day, the BJP walked out of an all-party meeting called by the Speaker to decide on the JD(U)’s demand for recognition as the main opposition party.
“The Speaker had called this meeting without following any constitutional or democratic process. His office works like a JD (U) office,” alleged BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav.
But Mr. Kumar and RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqui said the Speaker was fully authorised to take a decision.
“We also requested him to release a fresh list of the party’s position in the Assembly, ahead of the crucial trust vote,” JD(U) MLA Vijay Chaudhury said.
The Speaker recognised JD(U) leader Shrawan Kumar as the chief whip of the party, calling the whip issued by the Manjhi camp MLA Rajiv Ranjan Singh “illegal and unconstitutional.”
