PATNA:
Nitish Kumar is all set to stake claim tomorrow before the Governor to form a Government with JD(U) today submitting letters of support from Congress and RJD and claiming the backing of 130 MLAs even as Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi refused to step down before a trial of strength in the Assembly.
Bihar Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary today recognised Nitish Kumar as the new leader JD(U)LP leader in place of Manjhi and the party has asked Manjhi to step down. All eyes are now on Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who reaches here tomorrow.
Initiating the process of Government formation under Nitish, State JD(U) president Bashistha Narayan Singh accompanied by RJD, Congress, CPI and an independent MLA visited Raj Bhawan and submitted the letters of support.
“Nitish Kumar will himself meet the Governor tomorrow to formally stake claim to form the Government,” Singh told reporters after emerging from Raj Bhawan.
“We have submitted letters of support of the RJD, Congress, CPI and an independent MLA to the Raj Bhawan comprising total 130 MLAs in favour of Kumar, who was yesterday elected as JD(U)LP leader,” he said.
In the 243-member assembly, JD(U) has 111 MLAs, BJP 87, RJD 24, Congress 5 besides 5 independents, while ten seats are vacant. With the present effective strength of the assembly at 233, the magic figure is 117.
RJDLP leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, his Congress counterpart Sadanand Singh, independent member and a former minister Dulal Chand Goswami and CPI leader Jitendra Narayan accompanied him to the Raj Bhawan.
97 out of a total of 111 JD(U) MLAs and 37 out of a total of 41 MLCs had unanimously chosen Kumar their new leader at a meeting convened by JD(U) President Sharad Yadav yesterday. (AGENCIES)
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