Bihar BJP takes call to support Manjhi, awaits word from Delhi

“We have apprised our central leadership of the unanimous view of our MLAs,” Yadav said, “but we will abide by the decision of the high command.”

BJP national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, in charge of Bihar affairs, said the party would take the final call on backing Manjhi on Thursday. Nand Kishore Yadav said BJP MLAs would meet at 6 pm after the central directive was received.

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Nand Kishore Yadav also said the BJP would stage a dharna in Patna on Thursday to protest the “undemocratic” way in which the Speaker was functioning. “He is working like an agent of JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar,” he said in the context of seating arrangements in the assembly for the ensuing session.

Senior BJP leaders in Delhi are not keen that the party gets directly involved in the mess resulting from Manjhi’s rebellion against his former mentor Nitish. They fear that a visible move to keep Nitish out of power might backfire, and generate sympathy for the former chief minister. These leaders would like the JD(U)’s internal crisis to appear only as a fallout of Nitish’s desperation to replace Manjhi as chief minister.

JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi Wednesday accused the BJP of adopting the same “immoral, unethical and undemocratic tactics” that had defined Congress manoeuvres to split parties. He accused the BJP of poaching on the Trinamool Congress and Aam Adami Party, engineering defections from the JD(U), and luring away MLAs from Babulal Marandi’s JVM(P) with the promise of ministerial posts.

“I am sure the people will teach the BJP a lesson,” he said.
Sources in the BJP said most MLAs at Wednesday’s meeting felt the party stood to gain by backing Manjhi, who they believe has raised his stock by standing up to Nitish.

Possible BJP support notwithstanding, the cold numbers weren’t looking good for Manjhi two days ahead of the trial of strength.

The CM has the support of only a dozen JD(U) MLAs, who face disqualification if they go against the party line. Even if they do vote for Manjhi, and the BJP’s 87 MLAs back him as well, their numbers would be smaller than Nitish’s, who has the backing of 130 MLAs from the JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI and an Independent. The Bihar assembly has 243 members.