Bihar political stalemate: Parties' dinner diplomacy to keep flock together

New Delhi, Feb 18: It looks like political parties doesn't want to leave even a single stone unturned to keep flock together.

Ahead of February 20, when incumbent Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will have to prove his majority, all stakeholders including JD(U), BJP and RJD are hosting dinners for their legislators.

Apparently the parties are wary about the fact that their leaders may vote against the party wishes during Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's floor test.

When asked about this sudden bromance, a senior JD(U) leader said, "The aim of these dinners and lunches is to foster unity among the legislators before Manjhi takes the majority test on the floor of the Assembly".

The dinner diplomacy was kick-started on Monday evening with a feast thrown by JD U) MLC Vinod Singh at the house of former minister Gautam Singh.

Both are considered close to former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been re-elected JD(U) Legislature Party leader and has staked claims to the Chief Minister's post. Apart from Kumar and other JD(U) legislators, senior leaders from allied parties - RJD, Congress and CPI - were seen attending the dinner, signalling the existing bonhomie among them and their support for Kumar.

The series of feasts continued today with parties thrown by RJD Legislature Party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui in the afternoon and senior JD(U) leader and former minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary in the evening. Chaudhary was chosen the leader of JD(U) Legislature Party in the Assembly recently.

Earlier, the ruling Janata Dal(U) in Bihar suspended from its fold seven ministers owing allegiance to chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, ahead of the February 20 trial of strength for him on the floor of the Assembly.

The seven ministers were suspended by state JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh after receiving consent from the party's National President Sharad Yadav, party chief whip in the Assembly Shrawan Kumar told .

OneIndia News