NDA, RJD chase Bihar MLAs to garner support

The Congress, on whose support RJD is banking to buttress its claim to form government, is still non-committal on the issue though RJD sources claim that most of the party (Congress) MLAs have expressed support to Rabri Devi.

The newly-elected MLAs of the Congress are likely to meet here tomorrow to elect the legislature party leader.

As neither of the two formations is anywhere near a majority in the 324-member assembly, defections, splits and support from the independents and smaller parties hold the key to government formation.

NDA on the other hand claims to have obtained majority with "assured support" of the 12-member JMM-S and most of the independents.

Union Agriculture minister Nitish Kumar who was yesterday elected as leader of NDA said alliance leaders were making frantic efforts to elicit support of more MLAs "and we will stake claim to form the government once the commission notified the constitution of the new House."

Governor V C Pande had yesterday asked the two rival contenders not to stake claim for government formation till the commission issued the notification.

The RJD-CPM combine having 125 seats needs 34 more MLAs for a majority and is trying to woo the Congress and independents for support.

The combine is likely to be backed by two MLAs of the Revolutionary Communist Party and the lone MLA of the Marxist Coordination Committee, according to political observers.

The NDA having 122 MLAs considered the JMM-S, a votary of Jharkhand statehood, as a natural ally. JMM-S supremo Sibu Soren had already made it clear that his party would provide conditional support to the NDA giving a deadline for bifurcation of Bihar.

RJD and NDA sources confirmed that their senior leaders met prisoners like Suraj Bhan, Munna Shukla and Rajen Tiwari who emerged victorious as independents to muster their support for government-formation.