Nitish to worry more now: Miffed Jitan Manjhi may form new outfit to save his 'CM chair'

Patna, Feb 12: A twist may soon come in the tale of ongoing political stalemate in Bihar. Miffed with the way Jitan Ram Manjhi was expelled from Janata Dal United for anti-party activities, disgruntled Bihar Chief Minister may form his new outfit in coming days.

This news will further aggravate the cup of woes of Nitish Kumar who is already on back-foot after Manjhi was removed unceremoniously. Kumar is worried that Opposition BJP may fish in the troubled water.

According to a report in the Hindi daily, supporters of Manjhi are toying with the idea of forming a new party. It is being said that party leaders are not on the same page about what will be the contour of the new outfit.

The fact which is encouraging them in this direction is that Manjhi has already been expelled from JD(U), so a new outfit can be formed in the leadership of Bihar CM. Supporters believe that Manjhi could get support from other parties which will help him to prove his majority in the House. As a leader of new party, Manjhi could ask BJP to support him.

Earlier, Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi had said that Manji will have to prove his majority in the Assembly on February 20. The decision came hours after the Patna High Court virtually stayed Nitish recognition as the leader of the JD(U) Legislature Party in place of Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

The BJP on Wednesday said that a decision on who has the majority of MLAs will be made on the floor of the assembly. BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi seeking a floor test and Nitish Kumar claiming support of a majority of MLAs were internal matters of the JD-U.

"Hopefully they will not divert their problem to the BJP," Hussain said. However, he said the party's decision on the crisis will be known in the state assembly.

"Within JD-U, if Manjhi government is in majority or not, it will be known in the floor test," Hussain said.

OneIndia News