Patna/New Delhi: Amid the ongoing political crisis in Bihar, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has finally given a chance to Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to seek a vote of confidence on the floor of the House on February 20.
“Immediately after Governor's address of the joint session of Bihar Legislature on the opening day of Budget Session on February 20, Manjhi will have to prove majority in the house,” highly placed sources in Raj Bhavan said here.
ALSO READ: Nitish meets President, claims support of 130 MLAs
This has come after Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar met President Pranab Mukherjee claiming support of 130 MLAs and urged him to advise the Governor to take an immediate decision. Besides 99 JD(U) MLAs, Kumar claimed that he enjoys support of RJD, Congress, CPI and independent legislators -- taking the tally to 130.
Talking to reporters outside Rashtrapati Bhavan after the meeting, Kumar, who was accompanied by JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, RJD leader Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, said that any delay will pollute the atmosphere in the state and encourage ‘horse-trading'.
“Delay in the floor test was spoiling the atmosphere in the state and promoting horse-trading," he said.
“The budget should be of the government which proves its majority. The Governor's address should be of the government which proves its majority. Not paving the way for formation of a government is injustice. It is playing with democracy,” he added.
There was, however, no information whether Tripathi has accepted Manjhi's request for secret ballot or not.
Bihar is facing a political crisis following the JD-U's decision to re-elect Nitish Kumar as its legislature party leader and expel Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi from the party.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has said that a decision on who has the majority of MLAs will be made on the floor of the House.
Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said Manjhi seeking a floor test and Kumar claiming support of a majority of MLAs were internal matters of the JD-U.
"Hopefully they will not divert their problem to the BJP... Party's decision on the crisis will be known in the state assembly. Within JD-U, if Manjhi government is in majority or not, it will be known in the floor test," he said.
On the other hand, the Patna High Court on Wednesday stayed Kumar's election as the new leader of the legislature party.
According to a government lawyer, the HC while hearing a petition filed by a Manjhi loyalist, legislator Rajeshwar Raj, stayed Kumar's election as the new leader of the JD-U legislature party.
JD-U legislators loyal to Manjhi expressed confidence about the BJP's support in a confidence vote. "We are certain that the BJP would support a Mahadalit chief minister," said JD-U legislator Rajiv Ranjan.
Manjhi was hand-picked by Kumar to replace him as Chief Minister last year following the JD-U's rout in the Lok Sabha.
