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Bihar crisis: Nitish Kumar meets Guv

by IBNS 09 Feb 2015, 10:48 am

Patna, Feb 9 (IBNS): Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday met Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi and staked his claim to form the government in the state which is witnessing a political crisis for the past few days.

Kumar was accompanied by  Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad  to the Raj Bhawan where he met the Governor.

Speaking to media, after meeting the Governor, JD(U) leader Kumar said: "We told him that the JDU has optimum support from fellow parties like the RJD, Cong, CPI and others."

Yadav told reporters: "We told him that Nitish Kumar has the majority and he should be immediately invited to form the government."

Kumar earlier in the day paraded his supporters to the Governor House here.

In a fresh development, the JD (U) on Monday expelled its Bihar Chief Minister Jiten Ram Manjhi amid an ongoing turmoil after former CM and party leader Nitish Kumar staked claim to form the government in the state when 97 MLAs  unanimously elected him as the the leader of the state Assembly at a  legislative party meeting.

JD-U said Manjhi is being backed by the BJP president Amit Shah and also has support of Modi and had been involved in anti-party activities.

 Chief Minister Jiten Ram Manjhi has been asked to show his strength on the floor of the House by the Governor. Manjhi earlier refused to step down as the CM revolting against his party.

The JD-U has alleged that the BJP and PM Narendra Modi is unethically helping Manjhi.

"I am the Chief Minister and I will be here till the legislature party decides otherwise,"  Manjhi had said on Sunday after meeting Narendra Modi. He said he would take the support of anyone on the floor of the House.

Nitish Kumar was elected the leader of the Bihar Assembly at a  legislative party meeting on Saturday while his bete noire, chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi recommended to the governor to dissolve the house, stoking possibility of an early election in the state.

Earlier, Keshari Nath Tripathi hd accepted Manjhi's recommendation for dismissal of two  of his ministers--Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan and P K Shahi.

Shortly after being elected as the new leader, Nitish Kumar told  press conference  that there was a restlessness among party members on the way things were on in the state.

Earlier on Saturday, Manjhi met party President Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar ahead of a cabinet meeting and agreed to toe the party line by quitting as CM to pave way for the comeback of Nitish.

Manjhi was named as Bihar CM on May 17, 2014 after Nitish resigned following the party's electoral drubbing in the last Lok Sabha  polls.