BJP does not 'repent' backing Manjhi: Sushil Modi

Patna, Feb 20: BJP on Friday said it did not "repent" backing Jitan Ram Manjhi during the trust vote as the party wanted to send out the message to people that it stood against "humiliation" of a mahadalit at the hands of Nitish Kumar.

"We had extended support to Manjhi and the onus of proving the majority of his government was on him," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said. "He may have resigned but he has still won," he added.

Modi said BJP had made it clear that it was neither joining the Manjhi government nor taking initiative to form a government on its own. "Our aim was to send out the message to society that we stand against humiliation of a mahadalit at the hands of Nitish Kumar," he said.

BJP has 87 MLA in the 243-member Bihar Assembly whose effective strength at present is 233. The party had announced support to Manjhi, who chose to quit ahead of the trust vote apparently because he still did not have the numbers to confidence motion after JD(U) and its allies like RJD and Congress rallied behind Nitish Kumar.

The BJP leader, who was huddled with his party colleagues at his residence after the Speaker announced adjournment of the house sine die, said the JD(U), RJD and Congress whose "internal dissension" came to the fore have been "thoroughly exposed".

PTI