BJP will back Manjhi, Bihar battle-lines drawn
20 Feb 2015 12:26 AM GMT
With the BJP on Thursday deciding to support Jitan Ram Manjhi government, the proxy war between former and JD(U) has come out in the open. On the eve of the crucial floor test scheduled for Friday, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and former Deputy Chief Minister said, “We will support Manjhi in the assembly during Friday’s floor test, but we will not be the part of the government.”
Even though, the BJP has put its cards on the table, Manjhi will face an uphill task in the assembly as he needs to have the support of 117 legislators to remain CM. “Manjhi is set to fall short of majority even after the support of BJP’s 87 legislators as JD(U), Congress and RJD have issued whip to all its MLAs to vote against Manjhi during confidence motion.
Manjhi has the support of just 12 MLAs, of which four have been disallowed by High Court to vote and adding BJP members, the total figure comes at around 96, which is very short of majority,” a senior JD(U) leader told Millennium Post over phone.
Not even this, the decision of Patna High Court barring four rebel JD(U) MLAs from voting during the floor test, has come as a big blow to Manjhi, who is openly offering ministerial berth to MLAs who wish to switch the side. In another major setback to Manjhi government, Bihar Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary on Thursday notified Vijay Chaudhary of JD(U) as Leader of Opposition replacing Nand Kishore Yadav of the BJP. Choudhary is believed to be a Nitish loyalist. However, BJP protested outside the Speaker’s chamber soon after appointment.
Meanwhile, JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav has slammed BJP for scripting plans to create political crisis in the state. “The BJP is behind it… They always looked Nitish Kumar as an enemy since we left the NDA. We do not have any objection to that… We will fight, but fight an electoral battle,” Yadav said.
Even though, the BJP has put its cards on the table, Manjhi will face an uphill task in the assembly as he needs to have the support of 117 legislators to remain CM. “Manjhi is set to fall short of majority even after the support of BJP’s 87 legislators as JD(U), Congress and RJD have issued whip to all its MLAs to vote against Manjhi during confidence motion.
Manjhi has the support of just 12 MLAs, of which four have been disallowed by High Court to vote and adding BJP members, the total figure comes at around 96, which is very short of majority,” a senior JD(U) leader told Millennium Post over phone.
Not even this, the decision of Patna High Court barring four rebel JD(U) MLAs from voting during the floor test, has come as a big blow to Manjhi, who is openly offering ministerial berth to MLAs who wish to switch the side. In another major setback to Manjhi government, Bihar Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary on Thursday notified Vijay Chaudhary of JD(U) as Leader of Opposition replacing Nand Kishore Yadav of the BJP. Choudhary is believed to be a Nitish loyalist. However, BJP protested outside the Speaker’s chamber soon after appointment.
Meanwhile, JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav has slammed BJP for scripting plans to create political crisis in the state. “The BJP is behind it… They always looked Nitish Kumar as an enemy since we left the NDA. We do not have any objection to that… We will fight, but fight an electoral battle,” Yadav said.
Next Story
