Patna:Amid speculation of pressure being mounted on Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to quit and make way for Nitish Kumar, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav held a closed door meeting with Manjhi last night, JD(U) sources said on Thursday.
The sources suggested the change could come into effect after the Delhi poll and at the start of Bihar Assembly budget session on February 20. Manjhi, who had skipped meeting of JD(U) parliamentarians and those who had contested general election, went to meet Yadav at a hotel last night where he is putting up and the two were closeted for half-an-hour together, the sources said.
Manjhi had contested unsuccessfully from Gaya (SC) seat and was expected to be present in the JD(U) meeting. JD(U) sources said that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been authorised to see modalities for unification of old Janata Parivar parties telephoned Nitish Kumar and asked him to re-assume the post of CM which could give strength to the unified party against Narendra Modi in the Bihar election.
RJD President Lalu Prasad has also indicated that any decision in JD(U) on CM would not hamper merger process. RJD sour-ces said today Prasad has said his party was extending support to a party (JD-U) in Bihar and not an individual.
Meanwhile, Sharad Yadav went to Nitish Kum-ar’s residence this morning where a training programme of JD(U) minority cell was in progress.
In reply to a question on removal of Manjhi, Yadav told reporters, “I had told you on Wednes itself that it is not on agenda.” Specula-tion was rife yesterday that a decision could be taken in the evening meeting on Manjhi con-tinuing in the Chief Minister’s chair amid reports of heightening of conflict between pro-Nitish and pro-Manjhi leaders.
The immediate trigger was Manjhi publicly talking about poor performance of Road Construction Depart-ment (RCD) which forced him to replace the Secretary.(PTI)
