Describing the political situation as "critical" after Trinamool Congress withdrew its support to the UPA government,Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said he would support anyone in the formation of the next government at the Centre if it grants special category status to Bihar. "I will extend support to anyone in the formation of the next government if it grants special status to Bihar," he said while addressing a public meeting. He said the political situation at the Centre had turned unstable after the TMC pulled out support to the UPA government. He,however,did not say if he would fill the vacuum left by TMC's withdrawal and in that event extend support to the UPA government. Kumar indicated that the UPA government might not collapse following TMC's withdrawal of support,saying the Congress was adept at managing the numbers required to run the government,but it would have to suffer ignominy in the next Parliamentary elections. "Congress ke log jugad mein mahir hain. lekin jitna din yeh sarkar chalegi utni hi durdasha iski aagami Lok Sabha chunav mein honi wahi hai," Kumar,a senior JD(U) leader,said. JD(U) backs Mamata's decision; says UPA worse than East India Company Terming as bold and right Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee's decision to withdraw support to the government,JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav on Wednesday said she is firmly rooted to the ground and understands the problems of people. I salute and welcome her bold and right decision. Last time also she had opposed the FDI decision during NDA rule, Yadav said. Trinamool Congress,the second biggest constituent of the UPA,yesterday dealt a major blow to the Manmohan Singh government when it decided to withdraw its support on the issue of petroleum price hike,FDI in retail and corruption. She is firmly rooted to the ground and understands the problems of people. That is why she has taken the right decision against government's anti-people decision, he said. When it was pointed out that Samajwadi Party might support the government,he said,Like Mamata,Mulayam also belongs to masses and understands problems of people. Describing the FDI decision as unprecedented,Yadav said,It would adversely affect the lives of 25 crore people in the country. It has never happened in the country and no Prime Minister has taken such decision in the last 64 years. Attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking the FDI decision,he said,Earlier he had ousted Left for signing N-deal and now he is ousting Mamata for FDI. Congress will suffer for it. Asked who will form the next government if the UPA regime falls,Yadav said,This is not our concern now. Whoever comes does not matter now. On the 'Bharat bandh' called by Opposition parties tomorrow,he said the protest will continue against the government's anti-people FDI decision in retail till it is rolled back. If government does not rollback the decision then we will rollback the government, Yadav said. He also welcomed DMK chief M Karunanidhi's decision to support tomorrow's bandh. Describing the UPA government as worse than East India Company,the JD(U) leader said the movement against the FDI decision would continue. However,he said,This is not political parties' struggle but people's struggle. Shopkeepers,traders,vegetable sellers have given call for bandh tomorrow and we are fully supporting it. Asked whether there is a need for convening a special session of Parliament,Yadav said there is no need to call a special session as it will not solve any problem. HR Lalu slams Nitish's rant on special status The RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for saying that he will support any party to form government after next general elections if it gives special status to Bihar and said tha the latter has been changing colour like a 'chameleon' on the issue. "Kumar's statement is nothing more than a political stunt (rajnitik sagufa) to stay in limelight.If he has been so consistent on the special status issue,then why did he not pursue to logical conclusion a similar demand made by the then RJD-led government," he told reporters. "The Chief Minister has been changing colour like a chameleon on the special status issue," Prasad quipped. The RJD supremo recalled that Kumar,then the union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government,had summarily rejected special status demand as the convenor of a committee set up the then NDA government to look into such a demand made by the RJD-led government following bifurcation of Bihar. Kumar had then said that there was no need for special status to Bihar post-bifurcation and said that the special package was suffice but now he has changed stand and was himself pressing for similar demand,Prasad claimed. Another RJD leader and MP Ramkripal Yadav also attacked Kumar on the special status issue and said that the latter was a confused person due to his inconsistent stand on the issue over the years.
