After the JD(U) leadership failed to persuade Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to step down and pave the way for the return of Nitish Kumar to the seat of power, party president Sharad Yadav has convened a meeting of the JD(U) legislature Party on February 7 to elect a new leader through a secret ballot.
Reacting sharply to the meeting convened by Sharad Yadav, a beleaguered Manjhi said it was an unauthorised meeting and he would not attend it. In a Press release issued late on Thursday night, he said he only he is authorised to convene such a meeting in his capacity as leader of the legislature Party. The terse statement came after Manjhi’s supporters, including Ministers rushed to the CM’s residence to extend support and persuade him not to resign under pressure.
Meanwhile JD(U) secretary general KC Tyagi warned Manjhi of disciplinary action against for his “anti party activities”. He said Manjhi’s criticism of the scheduled MlAs’ meeting and calling it unauthorised was in violation of party discipline. Tyagi’s warning gives impression that Manjhi may be suspended from the party. The CM is also learnt to be contemplating to recommend dissolution of the Assembly. The unprecedented move by Sharad Yadav was taken after an aggressive Manjhi refused to quit and even told Yadav that he would prefer to be sacked.
Over the last two days, on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Yadav made desperate efforts to convince Manjhi to step down in the larger interest of the party. But the sexagenarian Mahadalit leader, who had been handpicked by Nitish in May 2014 to occupy the chair vacated by him, declined to oblige the party chief. He also reportedly said that he could consider the suggestion if Nitish personally asks him to step down.
On repeated requests by Yadav, the CM reportedly told him to convene the legislature Party meeting and hold a secret ballot for electing a new leader. This fuelled speculation that Manjhi may also stake his claim in the contest. Yadav accepted his suggestion.
Party sources claimed that RJD supremo lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also favoured removal of Manjhi and re-installation of Nitish. Sharad who held a series of highly-charged meetings on Thursday, also got the nod from Mulayam and lalu. Earlier, Mulayam phoned Nitish twice and advised him to take over in a bid to take on the surging BJP in the forthcoming Assembly election in Bihar.
Usually, the meeting of the legislature Party is convened by its leader, Manjhi in this case, but as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar said, there is provision that the party president can convene such a meeting. “The leader of the legislature Party is elected at a meeting called by the party president and he has the right to convene a meeting if the issue is election of the new leader,” said Kumar, a Nitish loyalist.
While the majority of JD(U) legislators are in favour of Nitish, some MlAs, including a few Ministers are opposed to the bid to remove Manjhi. The dissident MlAs of the party, whose number is around 24, have urged Manjhi not to step down and prove his majority in the Assembly instead. However, there may not be any threat to the JD(U) Government even after change of leadership. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, JD(U)’s strength is 115 and it also enjoys support of 25 members of the RJD, five of Congress and one of CPI besides two Independent MlAs. The BJP has 88 members while five seats are vacant.
The clear division in the ruling party and the Government, with Nitish and Manjhi’s loyalists firing salvos at each other, has put the leadership in an uncomfortable situation. Not only the JD(U) leadership but also the top leaders of RJD and Samajwadi Party are worried that the problematic situation in the JD(U) might disturb the process of the merger of six Janata Parivar parties.