Manjhi coming, talks spl status with Modi

PATNA: After a lot of hesitation within the JD (U), Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi Sunday decided to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The CM’s Office confirmed Manjhi would leave for Delhi Monday morning. The decision came after the BJP had attacked the JD(U) for failing to rise above the politics of acrimony. Bihar BJP legislature party leader Sushil Kumar Modi asked if Nawaz Sharif could agree to come to India, why could Nitish Kumar not send Manjhi. On Saturday, Manjhi told reporters he had raised the issue of special category for Bihar with Modi. “I raised the demand for special status to Bihar when Narendra Modi called to congratulate me after my swearing-in as the chief minister,” Manjhi told reporters.

MAHARASHTRA
Sena on the way, with a warning
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will attend the swearing-in ceremony, along with all 18 newly elected MPs of the party. The visit of Nawaz Sharif had caused some uncertainty about whether the Sena would attend. Having taken the decision, the Sena added a rider by issuing a statement that described Pakistan with an expletive and said that should it remain “crooked”, then “Modi should press the nuclear button in his hand”. Uddhav said, “At this moment we don’t want to protest against Pakistan. This is not the occasion. But it is difficult to trust Pakistan.” The Sena is the second largest alliance partner of the NDA.

GUJARAT
Ministers, BJP, RSS leaders on the way
AHMEDABAD: A number of ministers of the Gujarat government along with state BJP and RSS functionaries will attend the ceremony. All six cabinet ministers in the Anandiben Patel led government — Nitin Patel, Saurabh Patel, Babu Bokhirya, Ganpat Vasava, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Ramanlal Vora — will leave for New Delhi at 9 am Monday. Among ministers of state, Shanker Chaudhary is the only one invited. Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly Vajubhai Vala and deputy speaker Mangubhai Patel too have been invited. Gujarat BJP president R C Faldu and office-bearers Kaushik Patel, I K Jadeja, Vijay Rupani and Purshottam Rupala have been invited, besides Bhikhubhai Dalsania and Bharat Pandya.From the RSS, Dr D H Bhadeshiya, Chintan Kumar and Hasmukh Patel are likely to attend. PTI quoted Narendra Modi’s brother Prahlad as saying the family has decided to watch the ceremony on television, rather than travel to Delhi.