Nitish brings CM battle to Delhi, parades 130 MLAs

While Kumar managed to parade 130 MLAs in front of President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, in the state capital, Patna High Court stayed his recognition as the leader of the JD(U) legislature party in place of incumbent Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Meanwhile, in a late night development, Governor set a February 20 deadline for incumbent Manjhi to prove his majority. 

The court has also stayed the operation of the notification issued by the Bihar Assembly Speaker Udai Narayan Choudhary who had given recognition to election of Kumar as leader of the legislature party in the House. The court listed the case for further hearing on February 18.

Reacting to the High Court ruling, Kumar told Millennium Post that there was nothing in the order. 

“The party’s legal team has briefed the court in detail that the decision to remove Manjhi was taken as per the constitution of the party,” Kumar said, adding that he has the support of 130 MLAs which he will prove it on the floor of the House.

Taking a jibe at BJP’s massive defeat in Delhi poll, JD (U) MLA from Barbigha MLA Munna Shahi said, “Unke pass Delhi me kandha den ke liye char log bhi nahi hai, wo Manjhi ko kya support karenge (They don’t even have four members in Delhi, how will they support Manjhi). While another MLA Shravan Kumar, who has been removed from the Chief Whip’s post by Manjhi, said: “As voters of Delhi have deflated BJP’s wave; we are here to ‘destroy’ the game plan of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.”

The BJP, meanwhile, remained tight-lipped on whom it would back during the floor test.