Centre rules out early polls

President’s Rule, in that case, has to be extended, as the six month period from the imposition of Central Rule would lapse by then, said law minister H R Bhardwaj. The case would be put to the Parliament when it reconvenes in July.

The date of fresh polls will be decided by the Election Commission next week after its two-member team returns.

Meanwhile, BJP president L K Advani said Nitish Kumar will be the NDA’s candidate in the new polls, but added that are afoot to move court against the way the Assembly was dissolved when government formation was on cards. However Venkaiah Naidu said in Chennai that the BJP would not move the court.

“If one has to move court, he should be the aggrieved party. Only mlas of Bihar Assembly are the affected party. They might move the court and not the BJP,” party Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu told a press conference here.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meanwhile, broke his silence on the issue and for the first time rejected the Opposition’s tirade against the Centre’s action on Bihar.

There was no other option but to dissolve the state Assembly as ‘‘horsetrading of the worst kind’’ was taking place there, he said on his final day at Ranthambore.

On his part, Ram Vilas Paswan, battered and bruised, especially after defection from his party reduced his political strength, has begun jotting down his political experiences to be published in the Lok Janashakti mouthpiece.

And unable to introspect beyond a point, he has blamed Rabri Devi for his woes. Refusing to talk about alliances, Paswan, who has already been asked to spell out his plans for a poll alliance by the CPI (M), said his first priority is to get his own party in order. He added that he would talk about alliances only in three months’ time.