Headlines
Manjhi may take BJP's support to run government: Minister
Patna, Feb 7
Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram
Manjhi may take support from the BJP to run the government, a minister
said Saturday, after the JD-U legislature party elected Nitish Kumar as
its leader.
"We will take support of the BJP to run the
government if there is any such need," minister Narendra Singh, who is
considered close to Manjhi, told the media.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, did not say anything about supporting Manjhi.
Narendra
Singh and another minister Bhim Singh left for Delhi to talk to the
BJP's national leadership to get the party's support, a Janata
Dal-United leader said.
During a cabinet meeting Saturday, both these ministers supported the move of the chief minister to dissolve the Bihar assembly.
According
to officials in the Chief Minister's Office, Manjhi was likely to leave
for Delhi Saturday night to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday.
Manjhi,
who had earlier recommended the dismissal of two ministers and Governor
Keshari Nath Tripathi accepted it, later recommended the dismissal of
15 more ministers of his cabinet.
However, party leaders close to
Nitish Kumar, who was elected the new leader of the JD-U legislature
party, said party president Sharad Yadav has appealed to all legislators
to support Nitish Kumar.
The JD-U has 115 legislators in the
243-member assembly. It is supported by 24 legislators of Lalu Prasad's
Rashtriya Janata Dal, five of the Congress, one from the Communist Party
of India and two independents -- that is more than the simple majority
figure of 122.
The opposition BJP has 88 legislators and it enjoys the support of three independents. Five seats are vacant at present.