Patna, Feb. 7: Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today responded to the BJP's apparent game plan to dissolve the Assembly and go for fresh polls by recommending the same almost 10 months before the expiry of the House term.
The BJP, which adopted a wait-and-watch policy, quickly reacted to the dramatic political development saying this is what the party has long been demanding. The party has, on earlier occasions, demanded the dissolution of the House and the same thing was reiterated today.
"The BJP has been in favour of holding fresh elections in the state for quite a long time now. Nitish Kumar should have dissolved the Assembly the same day (June 16, 2013) when he severed ties with the BJP because the mandate was not for the Lalu-Nitish dispensation," Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters in Delhi.
Sushil said he had apprised party president Amit Shah of the political turn of events taking place in the state.
"All options are open before us and we have been keeping a close tab on the turn of events taking place every moment," said the former deputy chief minister who along with the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav left for New Delhi this afternoon on the call of the party high command in view of the political developments in the state.
However, party president Shah, during his two-day maiden visit to the state on January 24, made it clear that the BJP did not want an early elections as it did not want to be seen as party being involved in the turmoil of the ruling JDU in the state.
The party wanted to concentrate on the preparations of the Assembly elections keeping in mind certain goals such as galvanising party cadres and workers right from panchayat to the state level by involving them in a massive membership drive to complete the target of making 75 lakh members.
The other reason could be attributed that the party (BJP) also wanted to give a message that if something wrong is happening in the JDU, it is Nitish Kumar and his leadership could be held responsible for and not the BJP. The party's apprehensions came true today as Nitish replaced Manjhi as new JDU legislative party leader.
Sources say that the BJP's game plan was to either continue with Manjhi as chief minister, who has become a headache for Nitish and his party, the JDU, or go for fresh polls.
The theory gained credence in the phraseology used by both Shah and state party leaders.
One of the senior state party leaders, on the condition of anonymity, told The Telegraph that "let Jitan Ram Manjhi cobble up 30 to 40 MLAs and we will support him in running the government".
Office mood
The offices of the BJP and the RJD, located on Beer Chand Patel Marg, had a handful of party leaders and workers glued to the TV sets to know of the latest political development.
Interestingly, when the state capital was agog with political activities, the RJD office, a key alliance partner of the JDU, organised a Kavi Sammelan.
The BJP leaders, glued to the television sets, were jokingly and sarcastically said: "Manjhi ne Nitish Kumar ka iti shree kar diya (Manjhi has brought Nitish to an end)."
The ruling JDU workers were heard talking that "we are waiting for the news as when Manjhi resigns.... and when the party expels him.... He is not like educated and suave Manmohan Singh who will swear by the Gandhi family".
