New Delhi/Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi dug in his heels on Sunday, and the power struggle in Patna appears headed for a showdown on the floor of the state Assembly.
With Manjhi gaining an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening amid the fluid political situation in the state, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi is likely to prolong the test of strength and make JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar sweat in his bid to reclaim the top job in the state.
After meeting the Prime Minister, Manjhi made it clear that he would not quit and would rather seek a trial of strength. Kumar, on the other hand, is all set to stake claim in his meeting with the Governor on Monday afternoon, claiming the support of 130 MLAs in the House of 243. The BJP has said that the party will prefer early elections.
“The BJP has 87 MLAs and Manjhi enjoys the support of a good number of MLAs within the JD(U). The possibility of Mr Manjhi proving majority on the floor of the Assembly and then seeking dissolution of the House cannot be ruled out,” sources in Manjhi’s camp said.
However, JD(U) leaders said that Manjhi currently has the support of 13 MLAs from the JD(U), one from the RJD and three Independents and, if the BJP, which has a strength of 87 MLAs in the Bihar Assembly, agrees to support him, his strength will add up to only 104 which is still far too less than the magic number of 130 which Kumar has.
“Nitish Kumar has the numbers and he will prove it in front of the Governor. Manjhi’s claims are baseless as the BJP is trying to push the state towards a crisis,” JD(U) MLA Vijay Chaudhary said in Patna.
“The Assembly is the place to prove a majority. If Kumar has the numbers, why is he unduly worried,” Manjhi told reporters in New Delhi.
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Clearly playing the Maha Dalit card, Manjhi accused Kumar of humiliating the “son of a maha dalit” and claimed that the “former Bihar chief minister was happy as long as he was a rubber stamp.”
Meanwhile, JD(U) national general secretary K.C. Tyagi alleged that the BJP was trying to split the ruling party in Bihar.
According to sources, even Manjhi’s statement was allegedly scripted by BJP president Amit Shah.
“Manjhi is playing in the hands of the BJP,” said JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.
JD(U) legislators from Nitish Kumar camp, along with coalition partners RJD and Congress, submitted letters of support to the Governor’s secretariat to officially inform him that they had the numbers to form government. The Bihar Assembly Speaker too recognised him as the new leader.
