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RJD to stake claim to form new government in Bihar

     Patna/ New Delhi: The RJD, a key UPA ally, today said that it would stake its claim to form the next government in Bihar where elections last month resulted in a hung Assembly. The RJD had emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats, but much short of a simple majority in the house of 243. Party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is also Railway Minister, said that he was opposed to Central rule in his state. Lalu, who does not have the requisite numbers even after getting support from the Congress and other smaller parties, was confident the RJD-led government could prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly. "There has been a fractured verdict in Bihar. But people in Bihar want us to form the government as we have emerged as the single largest party. We have also received letters of support from other parties. We have decided that we will stake claim in order to avoid President's rule and prove our majority," Lalu told reporters in New Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Lalu has been stonewalled in his bid to form the government after the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) refused to lend its support. LJP, which is also an ally of the UPA, fought against RJD in Bihar. Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan said he was opposed to return of RJD-led government in Bihar. "We have to prevent RJD from forming the government. People's mandate has gone against him. After that we will see that who will form the government, it is a secondary thing," Paswan said in Patna.

Haryana CM tomorrow  (Go To Top)
by Pankaj Yadav

     New Delhi: The clouds of uncertainty continue to hover over the Congress as far as deciding the next Haryana CM is concerned. The latest development is that party president Sonia Gandhi has directed the newly elected party MLAs to elect their legislature party leader in Chandigarh tomorrow. But, a section of the party's senior leadership in the state claims that Sonia Gandhi has already made up her mind on who she would like as the new CM. According to them, the party president solicited her aides' advice that a Jat leader should be asked to hold the reins since the party won the polls because of a sizeable shift of the Jat votebank from the INLD to the Congress. It's after ten years that the Congress has emerged as the winner in the state.

     Caution, however, appears to be the mantra on the lips and thought processes of the 10, Janpath coterie, as they are more than aware that any decision taken by them without effective calculation, might bounce back on them. Buying time to let the political dust settle down is the mood vis-a-vis Haryana politics. This correspondent tried to speak to central and state leaders, but failed to receive a concrete response as to the goings on inside 10 Janpath's drawing room. All spoken to said "it was a top secret and even they were not aware of it." Reaching a consensus over the next CM is taking so long since a considerable number of the new party MLAs are opposed to Bhajan Lal's candidature. Besides, a majority of the legislators belong to the Jat community and they want to see only a Jat leader installed in the CM's chair. Their major contention is that the Jat votebank has played a crucial role in Congress' victory. Another factor that has gripped the issue over the last five days is that the anti-Bhajan Lal camp has told Sonia that this time for a leadership change in Haryana.

Jharkhand NDA MLAs paraded at Rashtrapati Bhawan (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The newly elected members of the NDA have arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to lodge a complaint with the President, A.P.J.Kalam against the political developments in Jharkhand. They are protesting against the installation of the minority Shibu Soren Government in the state. The newly elected MLAs are accompanied by BJP Chief, L.K.Advani, NDA convenor George Fernandes and other senior NDA leaders. Among the MLAs, 36 belong to the BJP-JD (U) combine, besides 5 independents led by AAJSU chief Sudesh Mahto. Even the ailing MLA of the NDA has reached Delhi to meet the President. In all probability, a total of 41 MLAs would meet the President in person. The MLAs, numbering 41 in total, have been brought to Delhi and housed in different places.

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