Centre seeks AG's view on Bihar crisis

Manjhi insists on test of strength in Assembly

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday is learnt to have consulted Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi to get the Constitutional position on the developments in Bihar.

With the political situation remaining fluid in Bihar after the JD-U expelled Chief Minister Jiten Manjhi from the party and elected Nitish Kumar as its leader, the Home minister wanted to know the legal position before taking any decision.

A senior official said the Home Ministry is closely watching the developments to ensure that there is no deviation from law.

Manjhi has been insisting on a floor-test before Governor Kesari Nath Tripathi invites Kumar to form the government. The Nitish camp found itself on the back foot after Patna High Court stayed his election as JD-U legislature party leader. “The ministry is not in a hurry to take a decision. It is watching the situation. We are aware of the situation. We will consult the governor if there is a need,” the official said.

The governor will have a crucial role to play to decide on contesting claims by both the camps.  Sources said the governor is also consulting legal experts on how to deal with the situation, especially after the Patna High Court order.

The JD-U camp argue that the Speaker has the right to take decision and once he accepted Nitish’s election as the leader of the legislature party, the issue has been settled.

On its part, BJP said it would decide on whom to support only on the floor of the House.
Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said it was an internal matter of JD-U and his party has nothing to do with this. “We will take our decision the floor of the House,” he told reporters. Targeting Nitish, Hussain said, “He wanted to be the prime minister and that is why he got separated from the BJP. And now he is struggling to become the chief minister.”