JD(U) MLAs to elect new leader as Nitish unwilling to withdraw resignation
http://shirazehind.blogspot.com/2014/05/jdu-mlas-to-elect-new-leader-as-nitish.html
JD-U leaders close to Nitish Kumar said he has made up his mind to vacate official residence and will shift to a nearby house. It is clear that Nitish Kumar will not withdraw his resignation, they said.
The JD-U legislature party is now likely to elect a new leader at its meet this evening in the presence of party president Sharad Yadav, who arrived here from Delhi, as well as Nitish Kumar.
Sharad Yadav, who has himself lost in the Lok Sabha polls, made it clear that Nitish Kumar has resigned and the JD-U legislature party will elect its new leader.
"We will elect a new leader in the meeting of the party legislators and let you know," Yadav told media persons. The crucial meeting of the JD-U MLAs is expected to begin around 4 pm, informed party chief Sharad Yadav.
A day after Kumar resigned taking moral responsibility for the rout of his Janata Dal-United in the state in the General Elections, his party legislators today said that they want him to continue as their leader.
“We want Nitish Kumar to continue as CM, but no decision has been taken yet,” Vijay Kumar Chaudhary of the JD(U) said.
The statement from JD(U) MLA came amid reports that Janata Dau (U) may consider taking support from Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD to form the government.
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (U), which is going for a change of guard in Bihar, held talks with Congress leadership in Delhi today. Sources further claimed that Nitish Kumar also called on RJD chief this morning to discuss the political situation.
Late night, Bihar Governor DY Patil accepted Kumar's resignation.
After Nitish Kumar made the announcement, most of JD-U legislators announced that they would persuade him to change his mind for sake of the state's development while hundreds of party leaders and workers flocked to the party office to express their solidarity. Incidentally the same party office was deserted Friday after the results came out.
"I led the party's campaign. I take moral responsibility for the election result," a visibly despondent Nitish Kumar said at press conference after submitting his resignation.
Nitish Kumar, however, made it clear that he has not recommended the dissolution of the Assembly.
"We did not get the expected support...(and) there is no doubt that the mandate is for the BJP," said Nitish Kumar, who has been in the saddle since Nov 24, 2005, and won a second term in the 2010 assembly elections.
He added that he has not seen this kind of polarisation in Indian politics. Bihar minister Vijay Choudhary said that everything will be decided in the meeting Sunday.
"All of us are with Nitish Kumar. It is a rumour that some JD-U legislators are unhappy and likely to desert," he said. JD-U legislator Gajanand Shahi alias Munna Shahi said that there was no chance of any split in the party.
Another JD-U legislator Izhar Ahmad said: "We will not accept his resignation in the JD-U legislature party meeting Sunday." Another legislator, Anant Kumar Singh said Nitish Kumar is a popular leader and if there is a requirement, the party will go to people for a fresh mandate. "At present we are trying to convince Nitish Kumar not to resign," he said.
Nitish Kumar's arch rival, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad told media persons that his party will keep watch on developments. "I know that the Nitish Kumar government has numbers with it as he is having simple majority," said Lalu Prasad, whose party was also decimated in the polls.
The BJP however described the resignation as a political stunt.
"There is nothing new in it, Nitish Kumar is habitual of resigning. He had resigned when a rail accident took place during his tenure as union railway minister and later withdrew it," tweeted former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who had called for Nitish Kumar's resignation after the poll results Friday.
Leader of the opposition Nand Kishore Yadav termed it a "natak (drama)" as part of Nitish Kumar's strategy "to end a revolt-like situation among his party legislators". Giriraj Singh of BJP also said, “Nitish is power hungry and may join hands with any one.”
The development however came as a big shock for the people of Bihar, who have voted Nitish Kumar to power after a decade of alleged misrule by the RJD.
Since the JD-U fared poorly in the Lok Sabha election, there had been intense speculation the Nitish Kumar government may fall.
Another setback was that the JD-U bagged only one of five assembly seats where by-polls were held along with the Lok Sabha polls. The RJD bagged three seats and the BJP took one.
In the 243-member assembly, the JD-U has 118 legislators while the BJP has got 91. RJD is placed third with 22 lawmakers, Congress has four and others are 8.
