Patna,(BiharTimes): Stating that Nitish Kumar would be CM candidate of the JD(U) in the next Assembly election Jitan Ram Manjhi said on Monday that the chief minister of the grand alliance would be elected after the poll results are announced and after talks among RJD, JD(U) and Congress leaders.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of the Janata Darbar he said the constituent parties have freedom to discuss such issues within its own organisation and then leaders of the partners would sit and decide a name for the post of the chief minister of alliance.
His comments came after senior RJD leaders Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Abdul Bari Siddiqui, have said that Nitish Kumar could be CM choice of JD(U) but not of the alliance. They asserted after Manjhi had said a couple of days back that Nitish is the chief minister candidate of the JD(U). Both Singh and Siddiqui were of the view that there is no need to float the name of any individual at this point of time as the CM would be elected by the MLAs of the grand alliance in consultation with the leaders of the three parties, provided the combination is voted to power.
It is true several JD(U) leaders, such as agriculture minister Narendra Singh, have of late, claimed that Nitish is their party’s choice for the post of CM; but now some leaders are thinking that projecting Manjhi would not be a bad idea as the latter has, by some recent administrative actions, started asserting himself.
However, Manjhi said on Monday that he was not in the race for CM post and added that there were many experienced leaders in RJD and Congress––apart from convicted and disqualified Lalu Prasad––who have capability to become CM.
Incidentally, Manjhi met Lalu Prasad in Delhi on Sunday to inquire about his health but said there was no political talks. He denied that Bihar has failed to keep up the growth pace after the exit of Nitish Kumar.