Modi, Amit Shah discuss Bihar strategy

New Delhi: BJP on Saturday attacked JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar accusing him of doing injustice to a ‘Mahadalit’ Bihar chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and demanded fresh polls in the state.
BJP also said it was keeping a close watch on the evolving political situation in Bihar as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah separately discussed the issue with party leaders including former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi. Narendra Modi and senior ministers in the party also held a meeting and discussed the Bihar situation at and Delhi assembly poll at a three-hour meeting. Nitish Kumar was today elected as Leader of JD(U) Legislature Party at a meeting called by party President Sharad Yadav to replace Jitan Ram Manjhi as Chief Minister of Bihar.
Manjhi has dug his heel and refused to resign.
Shah met Sushil Modi and held discussions with him and other leaders from the state.
Others present at the meeting were Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, party general secretary Bhupendra Singh and senior party leader Nand Kishore Yadav.
“We feel that there should be fresh polls in Bihar as Nitish Kumar has lost the mandate of the people who had elected BJP and JD-U to power and not JD-U alone. “We are keeping a close watch on the situation and hope fresh polls are ordered soon. Nitish Kumar seems hungry for power and that is why he has got himself re-elected as the Legistrature Party leader by ousting a maha-dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi,” Sushil Modi told PTI. Nitish Kumar has done injustice with a maha-dalit Jitan Ram Manjhi,” Yadav told PTI. To a question whether Manjhi would be welcome in BJP, he said he is not aware.
Sources indicated that Manjhi may meet BJP leaders in Delhi. He will attend a meeting of Niti Ayog tomorrow and will meet Prime Minister Modi.
Earlier during the day, senior Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ananth Kumar met Shah at the party office along with Yadav and discussed the Bihar ituation. (PTI)