Patna, Feb. 9: Bihar's Raj Bhavan on Monday turned out to be a rendezvous of an unprecedented scenario with Nitish Kumar and Jitan Ram Manjhi meeting the governor within an hour of each other.

Nitish had chosen Manjhi as his successor and escorted him to Raj Bhavan to take oath as the CM in May last year. Manjhi had heaped profuse praise on Nitish for his "supreme sacrifice" in favour of a Musahar belonging to the Mahadalit community.

A little over eight months later, around 1.45pm today, Nitish met Keshari Nath Tripathi, holding additional charge of Bihar governor, to stake his claim for the chief minister's post. Manjhi met the governor an hour later, describing Nitish's claim as "illegal".

Nitish's determination to replace Manjhi came to the fore when he, accompanied by JDU chief Sharad Yadav and RJD boss Lalu Prasad, besides leaders of Congress, CPI and an Independent MLA, met Tripathi, and set a deadline of 48 hours for the governor to give him opportunity to prove his strength on the floor of the Assembly. The MLAs, claiming to be 130 (JDU, RJD, Congress, CPI and an Independent), supporting Nitish paraded from Nitish's 7-Circular Road home to Raj Bhavan to demonstrate their strength.

"After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manjhi seems to have got the licence for horse-trading. The manner in which he spoke yesterday after meeting the PM suggested that if he was allowed to stay longer in office, he would indulge in luring and inducing the MLAs in his favour," Nitish, emerging from the meeting with the governor, said.

The JDU threatened they would march before President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi and stall Parliament's proceedings if the governor delayed taking a decision on the "emergency situation" in the state.

Prior to meeting the governor, Sharad expelled Manjhi from the primary membership of the party for "anti-party activities". "There was no legitimacy, whatsoever, for Manjhi to continue, devoid as he is of the required number of MLAs - key ingredients to parliamentary democracy - in office any more," said Nitish with Lalu and Sharad agreeing.

Manjhi, looking relatively subdued, today apprised the governor of how Nitish had "illegally" been elected as the leader of the Janata Dal United legislature party. Manjhi was accompanied by his ministerial colleagues - Nitish Mishra, Mahachandra Singh and Narendra Singh. Mahachandra and Narendra are MLCs, not qualified even to vote for Manjhi in the House.

Probably aware that the required number of MLAs eluded him, Manjhi pleaded with the governor for secret voting in the House. "I have requested the governor for secret voting in the House. I hope that the MLAs will vote for me according to their conscience," he said.

Tripathi also met Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary, probably to find out the official position of the parties and their MLAs in the House. "The Speaker is the final custodian of the House and it is he who will take call on the manner of voting inside the House," an Assembly official said.

While Manjhi silently drove to his 1 Aney Marg home from Raj Bhavan, Nitish, after meeting Tripathi, held parleys with the MLAs supporting him and announced: "We will proceed for New Delhi to parade before the President if I fail to receive a communication from the governor by tomorrow afternoon." His aide, Lallan Singh, said the party had already booked tickets for 140 leaders, including 130 MLAs, on flights tomorrow evening."

Manjhi, who had yesterday claimed he would seek permission and time from the governor to expand his council of ministers and add two deputy CMs, fell mum on the issue today. Sources in Raj Bhavan said the issue of expanding the ministry did not crop up in Manjhi's conversation with the governor. Manjhi, who had also yesterday said he would prove his majority on the floor of the House on February 20-when the House commences for the budget session-said today: "We have left everything, including convening of the House, on the wisdom of governor."

Nitish, however, countered Manjhi's logic before the governor. "The governor, as per the law and practices, addresses the joint session of the House's budget session and reads out his address that is prepared by the cabinet. What will the governor read out when the state, virtually, has no cabinet in place to prepare his address." Nitish claimed that the governor appreciated his point.

Tripathi flew to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister after concluding the sessions with the Bihar leaders.