Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, November 10
As suspense over any alliance not getting a majority continued till late night, both the NDA and Grand Alliance had swung into action.
The RJD-led Grand Alliance had alleged that chief minister Nitish Kumar, who “would be in the chair for next few hours”, was putting pressure on the returning officers to delay declaration of results.
BJP here predicted Dulha Badlega (groom will be changed), indicating change that the Chief Minister could be a new phase.
There was jubilation in the offices and outside the residences of the leaders of the RJD and BJP, but there was silence in JDU office. Though some enthusiastic party workers came to JDU office and started beating drums, they were silenced by the principal spokesman of the party, Sanjay Kumar Singh and asked to go back.
As the see-saw battle between the NDA and the Grand Alliance continued till late in the evening, home minister Amit Shah telephoned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and thanked him for his leadership during the campaign. Later, he talked to the deputy chief minister, Sushil Kumar Modi too,
Sushil Modi reached his official bungalow on Circular road and held an emergency meeting with the party general secretary, Bhupinder Yadav, state president Sanjay Jaiswal, health minister Mangal Pandey and discussed the detailed reports received from different constituencies.
Later, all the leaders went to 1, Anney Marg bungalow of the chief minister. The discussion between the chief minister and BJP leaders was on till the filing of this report. Sources in BJP indicated that Nitish Kumar might propose the name of Sushil Kumar Modi as the leader of the NDA legislature party as his successor.
From JDU side, working president Ashok Chaudhury, principal general secretary R C P Sinha and Irrigation minister Sanjay Kumar Jha joined the deliberations. It is understood that Nitish Kumar is firm on not continuing as the chief minister.
Union minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar Chaudhury has demanded Nitish Kumar to leave Bihar politics and allow BJP to appoint a leader of forward caste of backward caste as his successor.
Meanwhile, the Grand Alliance spokesman Manoj Kumar Jha tonight alleged though the strike rate was comparatively better than the NDA candidates, still results of the RJD candidates were being withheld by the returning officer. At a press conference, he alleged the returning officers were delaying issuance of certificates to the successful candidates of the Grand Alliance on the instructions of the CM.
Jha was confident RJD led new government would be formed in Bihar. This is 200 per cent true, he claimed.
