Sharad Yadav meets Cong leaders, assures of support in Bihar

New Delhi, May 18: JD(U) chief

on Sunday held talks with

leadership which is understood to have assured him of support in new government formation in

following resignation by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, JD(U) has 115 members and Congress with four members had been supporting the Nitish Kumar government. Sources in JD(U) said that they have been assured of support from Congress as the JD(U) legislature party meets today to elect its leader after Kumar quit taking moral responsibility for the party's Lok Sabha poll debacle.

Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, who is a senior leader from Bihar, said Congress has been supporting JD(U) government from outside and there was no reason to discontinue it.

"We have extended support to Nitish Kumar government to check communal force. I personally see no reason to withdraw support," he said.

BJP has 89 seats in the Assembly and RJD 21. JD(U) also has support of one CPI MLA and two Independents.

There are six vacancies in the House. Nitish Kumar yesterday resigned along with his council of ministers, but did not seek dissolution of the Assembly, injecting a dramatic turn in state politics.

"The Lok Sabha election results have not been good for JD(U). The people's mandate has to be respected. So, I have tendered the resignation of my council of ministers. I had led the campaign. So, it is my duty to take moral responsibility and I must take," Kumar had told reporters after resigning.

The tenure of the present government was till November 2015. Yadav had said a new government will be formed in Bihar by JD(U).

PTI