Nitish Kumar elected new JD(U) Legislature party leader

Nitish Kumar was today elected as Leader of the JD(U) Legislature Party at a meeting called by party President Sharad Yadav to replace Jitan Ram Manjhi as Chief Minister of Bihar.

Masaurhi MLA Arun Manjhi, considered a supporter of Manjhi, proposed Kumar's name, which was approved by others, Minister Shrawan Kumar told reporters.

The meeting, which was dubbed by defiant Manjhi as "unauthorised", was attended by 97 out of 111 JD(U) MLAs and 37 out of a total of 41 members of the Legislative Council, party sources said.

Manjhi had instead called a meeting of the Legislature Party in the capacity of being leader of the House in the evening of February 20.

The election of Nitish Kumar paves the way for the former chief minister to take over the mantle again by replacing Manjhi whom he had handpicked to become the chief minister after he had resigned.

Kumar was found smiling after being elected the JD(U) leader. Shrawan Kumar said Kumar had been asked to plan further action.

State JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh and JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi were also present at the meeting. The election of Kumar as the new leader of the party in the House comes nearly eight months after he resigned as CM in May, 2014 in the wake of party poor performance in general election. He had handpicked Jitan Ram Manjhi to succeed him.

Later, Manjhi rebelled against him. Manjhi and seven ministers who had sided with him in the Cabinet meeting were absent along with some other MLAs and MLCs.

Earlier, a copy of a letter signed by 21 pro-Nitish ministers, who had opposed a proposal in the Cabinet meeting to dissolve the Assembly, was faxed to President of India Pranab Mukherjee and Governor Kesrinath Tripathi.

Sacked minister P K Shahi gave this information to newspersons and also handed over a copy of the letter faxed to the President and the Governor.

Sharad Yadav also sent a letter to the Governor urging him not to entertain recommendation of Manjhi who, he said, was now in a minority.

The 21 pro-Nitish ministers out of a total of 29 including Jitan Ram Manjhi had rejected a proposal to dissolve the Assembly. Seven ministers loyal to Manjhi had supported the proposal.

The mood was boisterous in the Vidhan Sabha annexe where the JD(U) Legislature party meeting took place. MLC Sanjay Singh, Binod Kumar Singh and others were heard raising slogans in favour of Nitish Kumar.

Sharad Yadav presented a bouquet to Nitish Kumar after being elected the Legislature Party leader.  Manjhi did not attend the meeting called by Yadav.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by Principal Secretary Cabinet Coordination department B Pradhan said the Cabinet has authorised Chief Minister Manjhi to approve the address of Governor to the joint session of Bihar Legislature.

It further said that after discussion, the Cabinet authorised CM Manjhi to take "an appropriate decision at an appropriate time" on dissolution of the state Assembly.

Kumar's election at the Legislature Party meeting, dubbed by the Chief Minister as "unauthorised", paves the way for him to take over the mantle again by replacing Manjhi whom he had handpicked to after he had resigned.

Kumar said majority was with him "and if needed, we will parade our majority numbers", apparently referring to support of RJD, Congress and CPI which takes his number well ahead of the majority mark.

21 ministers in the Manjhi Cabinet who had rejected a proposal to dissolve Assembly at the Cabinet meeting, will meet the Governor on Monday to tender their resignations from the Manjhi ministry, party general secretary K C Tyagi said.

Meanwhile, Manjhi recommended to the Governor dismissal of 15 other ministers of his Cabinet, highly placed sources in the CM's Office said.

Out of 20 ministers opposed to him, Manjhi has spared five -- Dulal Chand Goswami, Ramai Ram, Ram Lakhan Ram Raman, Manoj Kumar Singh and Naushad Alam, the sources said.

He sent the recommendation just before leaving for Delhi to take part in a meeting of NITI Aayog with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.

Notwithstanding the move by the majority of the Legislature Party, Manjhi plans to "expand" his "ministry" soon, according to Minister Narendra Singh, who has emerged as chief advisor of the Chief Minister.

He said if required, they would take help from BJP to keep the Manjhi ministry going.
Singh said there was no "validity" of meeting called by Sharad Yadav. "We are the 'asli' (true) JD-U," said Singh, a friend of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad since 1974 JP movement who has gone against them.