PATNA:
Nitish Kumar today escalated the stand- off in the ruling JD (U) in Bihar by threatening to take the battle to the President if his claim to form the Government is not accepted while expelled Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi sought a trial of strength by secret vote in the Assembly.
On yet another day of hectic developments, the JD(U) expelled Manjhi from the party for “anti-party” activities and the Speaker declared him an unattached MLA.
Former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has now been elected leader of the JD (U) legislature party, met Governor K N Tripathi and produced before him a list of 130 supporting MLAs in a House, with an effective strength of 233, belonging to JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI and an independent.
After the meeting with the Governor, Kumar said he told Tripathi that he was ready to prove his majority in 24 hours or 48 hours, whatever the deadline the Governor may chose to give.
Flanked by RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, Kumar said they requested the Governor that a new Government should be in place before the budget session of the Assembly starting from February 20.
Kumar said if an opportunity is denied to him to form Government or in the event of any ‘dilly dallying’, he would parade 130 MLAs of JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI and one independent before President Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi.
The three leaders described the meeting as “satisfactory”.
The Governor was also told that the 130 MLAs supporting Kumar were waiting outside Raj Bhawan wearing their I-cards issued by the assembly secretariat and if he wished he could meet them, Kumar said, adding, “on this, the Governor said ‘There is no need of it.” (AGENCIES)
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