The rapprochement meeting between Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his predecessor Nitish Kumar failed on Saturday afternoon with Mr. Kumar said to have refused to comply with three demands put forward by Mr. Manjhi for the compromise formula and thereafter the chief minister is likely to recommend for the dissolution of state assembly anytime on Saturday.
In the cabinet meeting, the ministers were divided over the proposal for the dissolution of the state assembly brought forward by the chief minister.
As many as seven ministers, including the chief minister, were said to be in support of the proposal put forward by state agriculture minister Narendra Singh on behalf of the chief minister, for dissolution of the state assembly whereas the rest 21 ministers opposed the move.
“The move was opposed by two-third ministers whereas only seven, including the CM were in favour of it”, said Shyam Rajak, loyalist of Nitish camp. When asked what next, he said we’re ready to continue the fight constitutionally.
However, party insiders said that the chief minister has approved the move of dissolution of the state assembly in the cabinet meeting and is likely to recommend it to the state Governor anytime on Saturday.
March to Governor's house
JD(U) leaders and ministers of Nitish Kumar camp now have marched to the Governor House to register their protest against chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi recommendation for the assembly dissolution.
Three demands
Earlier, the meeting called for brokering peace between chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Nitish Kumar failed when Nitish Kumar refused to bow down to broadly three demands of Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Party sources close to Mr. Manjhi told The Hindu that he demanded that he should be allowed to continue as the chief minister and the two ministers he recommended for their sacking from the cabinet on Friday too must stand as it and the party should also take all the eight rebel party MLAs whose membership were terminated earlier by the party, back into the fold.
Mr. Kumar, said party insiders, refused to comply with the demands of chief minister Manjhi and later in the proposed cabinet meeting Manjhi played its last masterstroke while moving proposal for the dissolution of the state assembly.
Now the political ball of the state has fallen into the Governor’s court and Bihar is heading towards political instability.
Meanwhile, Mr. Manjhi is leaving for New Delhi Saturday evening and he could also meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the scheduled meeting of NITI Aayog on Sunday.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, along with some other party leaders, too has left for Delhi.
Earlier report:>Manjhi meets Nitish for likely rapprochement, may resign from CM post
