Bihar CM raises 'special status' demand with Modi

The new Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has raised the issue of special category status for Bihar, the pet demand of his predecessor Nitish Kumar, with Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.

Manjhi raised the issue of special category status for Bihar when Modi had telephoned him after he was sworn in as the chief minister succeeding Nitish Kumar. The new CM was addressing a section of media during an interaction late on Saturday evening.

"I had raised the demand for special status to Bihar when Narendra Modi had called to congratulate me after my swearing in as the chief minister. The grant of special category to our state will go a long way in sending a good message among the poor," said Manjhi.
Carrying forward the agenda of his predecessor, Manjhi said if it was not fulfilled, a long agitation will be launched in the state.

Special category status had been prominently raised by Nitish Kumar. The issue also topped the agenda of JD(U) during the general elections.

Kumar had organised two mega-rallies at Patna and New Delhi in support of special category status for Bihar. He had given the call for a one-day 'Bihar bandh' when the UPA government had announced the special category status and special package for Seemandhra in the wake of the division of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Narendra Modi, while campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, had announced that if he came to power, he would provide 'special status', 'special package' and 'special attention' to Bihar and other northeastern states for their better development.

Manjhi also said he has been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Modi as the Prime Minister on May 26 at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

"I have got the invite sent by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for Modi's swearing-in function. I will take a decision soon," Manjhi told reporters.

Asked about the chance of JD(U) and RJD coming together in his government, speculation about which was triggered when Lalu Prasad extended support to Manjhi during the trust vote, the Bihar CM dismissed any such possibility.

"There will be no alliance with the RJD. We did not ask them to support us, but they did it on their own to keep the communal forces at bay," added Manjhi.

Asked about the BJP's allegation that he will be 'remote controlled' by the previous chief minister Nitish Kumar in day-to-day functioning, Manjhi said this showed the "Manuwadi mentality" and "mean mindset" of the saffron party for those who do good work.

"It is the BJP which functions from the remote control of RSS at Nagpur. Can they say anything against RSS or its chief Mohan Bhagwat?" retorted Manjhi.

Talking about his agenda for the state, the Bihar chief minister said he sees only 10-12 months with him as the effective time period to complete the developmental agenda initiated by the Nitish Kumar government before the next assembly elections are declared.

He stressed the need for further tightening of law and order situation in the wake of some recent incidents of crime.

"We need to implement the policies that are already in place. We will implement the development roadmap of Nitish Kumar. We will consider any additional requirement if they arise. The law and order situation has deteriorated a bit and we will improve it. We will also crackdown on the middlemen active in government-related works," added Manjhi.

Talking about the power situation in the state, Manjhi said electricity is the priority area of the state government. Bihar's power production currently stands at 2,400 MW here, which will be increased to 4,500 to 5,000 MW by 2015.

Manjhi, who himself hails from a landless 'mahadalit' caste, stressed the importance of land reforms and said steps will be taken to resolve land disputes.

He added that cases related to atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would be disposed speedily.

Source: TOI

Jitan Manjhi to be new Bihar CM

Putting an end to the political crisis in Bihar, Nitish Kumar on Monday announced name of his close aide Jitan Ram Manjhi as the next chief minister of the state.

Addressing reporters here, Kumar said, “He (Jeetan Manjhi) is a very experienced leader who has contributed a lot to party.”

Reports claim that the Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi along with Kumar went at the Governor's residence today before making this big announcement.

Manjhi currently hold the SC/ST, OBS, EBC Welfare Ministry. He is a Mahadalit from the Musahar community who occupy the lowest strata of the society in the state.

By appointing Manjhi, the former Bihar CM has sent a strong signal that he is trying to uplift the Mahadalits, a category that he has been actively wooing in the last few years.

Soon after Nitish Kumar's announcement, Manjhi, a senior JD(U) leader from Gaya constituency said, “I was surprised, I never thought I would be the CM ever.”

Kumar, who had resigned from his post on Saturday, remained firm on stepping down as the chief minister of Bihar even as the entire team of JD(U) leaders firmly backed him as their party chief.

However, the ex-Bihar CM today said that he would take on the responsibility again if he wins the mandate in the 2015 state Assembly polls.

"If people give me mandate in 2015 I am ready to take up responsibility again," Kumar told his supporters gathered outside after the crucial JD(U)LP meeting at his official residence.

Meanwhile, Bihar BJP leaders and their ally Ram Vilas Paswan today dismissed Nitish Kumar's resignation as a "scripted drama" enacted to save his leadership in JD(U) amidst a growing clamour against him within the party.

Earlier, addressing a press conference in the capital city today, Kumar, who was accompanied by state JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh and leader Rajiv Ranjan Lallan, said his decision to quit was not a sentimental one but a 'hard political decision' and urged his supporters to brace for a 'big fight' in Assembly polls scheduled next year.

"My responsibility has rather increased to guide government as well strengthen party in the state," he said.

Kumar said though there was no shortage of numbers for him, he decided to quit owning moral responsibility for the defeat of the party in the parliamentary polls in the state.

JD(U) managed to hold on to merely two seats this time from a high of 20 in 2009. BJP gained from the separation with it and won 22 seats on its own and helped new allies LJP win 6 and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) 3.

Attacking BJP for charging him with indulging in horse trading to protect his government, Kumar mocked at its senior leader Sushil Kumar Modi for claiming that 50 JD(U) MLAs were in touch with it.

"Even after resigning I did not dissolve the assembly to give scope for forming a new government ... I have given BJP 48 hours to form a new government with the help of 50 JD(U) MLAs ... Unki pol khul gayi (their claim has been laid bare)," he said sarcastically.

Kumar said JD(U) enjoyed comfortable majority in the assembly as besides its own strength of 117 MLAs including the speaker, it enjoyed support of 4 Congress MLAs, 1 CPI and 3 Independents.

Upping the ante against its one time alliance partner JD(U), the Bharatiya Janata Party had yesterday asked the Bihar Governor to dissolve the state Assembly.

“We met the Governor and said a minority government has been running in Bihar for the last 11 months,” BJP leader Sushil Modi.

After meeting with the state governor DY Patil, slamming JD(U), BJP leaders said the unstable state government is hampering development work in Bihar.

He added, “Bihar is politically unstable right now, we spoke to the Governor about the horsetrading going on, which isn't good for Bihar.”

“They (JDU) are plotting so that elections aren't held in Bihar but they will be held in 6 months,” LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan said.

After registering a landslide victory in alliance with BJP, LJP had said that Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government may fall soon and a mid-term elections in the state by October-November this year.

New political equation may emerge in Bihar

After resignation of chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday, a new political equation may emerge in Bihar which in the words of JD(U) chief Sarad Yadav may spring surprise on the national level.

As per the indication, the two old friends-turned-foes Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad who have been drubbed in the just concluded general elections and who had parted ways in early nineties, may join hands for the formation of a 'secular' government.

At 4pm on Sunday (today) the JD(U) legislators are meeting at CM residence to elect a new leader. But as sources said they will express their solidarity with Nitish and request him to withdraw his resignation. Though there seems little scope of Nitish succumbing to their pressure. Meanwhile, he has applied to the housing department to allot him a different house as he readies to vacate official CM residence — 1' Ane Marg. The department has allotted him a new house.

The RJD leaders are tight-lipped over the developments and the Lalu's party has also called a meeting of its legislature party on Monday. Some JD(U) leaders in Delhi reportedly met Congress leaders to discuss the issue and Congress is believed to have assured to support JD(U) government.

Political circles believe that RJD may extend support to JD(U) government whether it is headed by Nitish or someone else. The party may also join the new government. The names doing round as replacement of Nitish include Bijendra Yadav, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Narendra Singh, all ministers.

There is also speculation that Nitish may take over national president of JD(U) in view of the age and health of present chief Sharad Yadav.

Source: TOI