JD(U) delegation submits letters of support in Kumar's favour

State unit JD(U) president Bashistha Narayan Singh said the party will formally stake claim tomorrow to form government

The fight to finish the battle between Nitish Kumar and Jitan Ram Manjhi camps in Bihar today reached a decisive phase as a delegation of leaders of JD(U) and its allies submitted letters of support to the Governor's office claiming that Kumar had the backing of 130 MLAs.

State unit JD(U) president Bashistha Narayan Singh said that he has requested Raj Bhawan officials for an appointment with the Governor tomorrow to formally stake claim to form the government under the chief ministership of Kumar.

"Nitish Kumar will himself meet the Governor tomorrow to formally stake claim to form the government," Singh said.

Tripathi, who is West Bengal's Governor holding the additional charge of Bihar, told PTI over the phone from Kolkata that he will be reaching the state capital at 9.30 AM tomorrow. He, however, refused to take questions on the fast unfolding political developments in Bihar.

Armed with the support of 130 MLAs and a letter of the JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav, a delegation of leaders of JD(U) and its allies went to the Raj Bhawan at around 1 PM and submitted the letter of support in favour of Kumar.

Emerging after half-an-hour long meeting with the Raj Bhawan officials here, the state unit JD(U) president told reporters, "We have submitted letters of support of the RJD, Congress, CPI and an independent MLA to the Raj Bhawan comprising a strength of a total of 130 MLAs in favour of Kumar, who was yesterday elected as the leader of the JD(U) legislature party leader."

Singh was accompanied by his senior colleague Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, RJD legislature party leader A B Siddique, Congress legislature party leader Sadanand Singh, independent MLA Dulal Chand Goswami and CPI leader Jitendra Narayan

He said that a letter written by the JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav has also been handed over to the Raj Bhawan apprising the constitutional office that the incumbent chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has ceased to be the ruling party's legislature party leader since yesterday following election of Kumar to the position.

Yadav, in his letter to the Governor, said that Manjhi was asked to resign from his post to clear the decks for Kumar's election, but he refused to do so following which the JD(U) legislators elected Kumar as their legislature party leader yesterday.

In the 243-member Legislative Assembly, the JD(U) has 111 MLAs, BJP 87, RJD 24, Congress 5 besides 5 Independents, while 10 seats are vacant.