Patna, Oct 2 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the cabinet decision to withdraw a controversial ordinance aimed at protecting convicted lawmakers.

“It is a welcome decision and a positive development,” he told the media.

The Janata Dal-United leader recalled that he had earlier urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take back the ordinance and supported Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the ordinance.

"There was no need to bring an ordinance from the backdoor to protect convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification," he said.

JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said the Congress-led UPA government’s decision Wednesday was a right step in view of the dominant sentiment of people across the country.