Patna, Jan. 7: A defiant chief minister and an administration which has side-tracked nearly all the 'blue-eyed boys' of Nitish Kumar - the JDU appears to be bracing for tough days ahead.

The administrative shake-up on Tuesday night, described as 'routine' by the government, has sent shockwaves through Patna's power corridors. 'The message of the reshuffle is that Jitan Ram Manjhi has completely cut off the shackles of Nitish Kumar administratively,' said a senior IAS officer.

The bureaucratic rejig yesterday coincided with the Patna High Court order quashing the Assembly Speaker's decision to terminate the legislative memberships of four rebel JDU MLAs who had upped the ante against Nitish.

The impact of the verdict, being interpreted in political circles as a blow to Nitish for his anti-dissident stand, was felt today when another rebel JDU MLA, Rajeshwar Raj, demanded the removal of Speaker and Nitish confidant, Uday Narayan Chaudhary, who had applied the anti-defection law against the four MLAs. 'The Speaker has no moral right to continue in his post,' he said. Ravindra Rai, whose membership was restored by the court's order yesterday, reopened the battle flank against Nitish, saying he hoped the former chief minister would be prosecuted in the medicine purchase scam.

Four more rebel MLAs of the JDU - Poonam Devi, Ajit Kumar, Suresh Chandel and Raju Singh - who had been disqualified by the Speaker on similar grounds petitioned Patna High Court today. They challenged the Speaker's ruling disqualifying them as members of the Legislative Assembly.

Chief minister Manjhi, who had gone against the party's stand and welcomed the high court decision, remained defiant today even as parliamentary affairs minister Shrawan Kumar said the 'JDU would challenge the decision in a higher court' - technically the appeal has to come from the Speaker's office.

'I stand by what I had said yesterday - that the MLAs should not have been disqualified and some other measures should have been taken. The MLAs got justice in the court,' Manjhi told reporters today.

If Manjhi is asserting himself politically with the elections less than a year away, he has sought to leave his stamp even on the bureaucracy. When he assumed power in May last year, Manjhi carried on with the same officials Nitish had in key posts. The new chief minister was repeatedly taunted by the Opposition that he does not have power to change his own principal secretary.

Yesterday, he sought to unshackle himself by posting Amrit Lal Meena as his principal secretary and Sudhir Kumar as the principal secretary, home. Both officers are perceived to be loyal to him. IAS officers said in private that with Deepak Kumar, who was previously principal secretary to chief minister Manjhi, having left on central deputation, chief secretary Anjani Singh remains the last of Nitish's 'blue-eyed boys' still holding a key post.

In all, 18 IAS officers, including Amir Subhani, an IAS topper who was home secretary for close to six years, were transferred late on Tuesday night.

S. Sidhartha and Chanchal Kumar, both IAS officers with an engineering background who were among the 'nine gems' of Nitish and were roped in to set things right, have been shifted to less important positions. While Sidhartha has been moved to the labour department as secretary, Chanchal Kumar has been transferred to the rural works department in the same capacity.

Chanchal earlier held the post of secretary in the building construction department, which was fast-tracking several development projects earlier launched by Nitish. Work on these projects such as Bihar Museum, Niyojan Bhawan, International Convention Centre and the Vidhan Sabha Annexe Building, is going on in full swing.

'Chanchal Kumar has been removed from the post when the work was near completion. His transfer would have an adverse impact on the completion of work within the stipulated period. The officer was well acquainted with the projects, which were on the priority list of Nitish,' a senior IAS officer said on condition of anonymity.

Dharmendra Singh Gangwar, also known as Nitish's blue-eyed officer, was shifted from the general administration department to the planning and development department as principal secretary. Nitish's pet projects under the Bihar Prashashanik Sudhar Mission (which was assigned to look after e-governance) and the Right to Public Service Act are monitored by the general administration department.

Instead of Nitish's men, officers such as Patna divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal, who belongs to Manjhi's native district Gaya, has been given plum postings. Lal replaces Chanchal Kumar as secretary in the building construction department. He will continue to hold charge of Patna divisional commissioner.

'It is virtually goodbye Nitish, hello Manjhi,' remarked an IAS officer, tongue firmly in his cheek.