Amid a political crisis in Bihar, Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar has sought an appointment with Governor Phagu Chauhan, news agency ANI. The move is being seen as JD(U) breaking away with the BJP, ending the ruling alliance in the state, sources told ABP News, adding that Nitish may join hands with a 'mahagathbandhan' with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as its major stakeholder. The meeting will take place at 4 pm, which the CM is expected to attend with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the sources said.
Prior to the meeting, Nalanda MLA Kaushalendra claimed that "BJP tried to break the JD(U)".
The meeting is taking place after the resignation of RCP Singh, who headed the JD(U) for the last one-and-a-half years. After Singh resigned from the party, the sources said, he had been in touch with some MLAs raising doubts that the BJP could bring in a ‘Maharashtra MVA-like situation’. This was what prompted Nitish Kumar to call a meeting of party MLAs and MPs.
Simultaneously, the Rashtriya Janata Dal is also holding a party meeting of its legislators on the orders of Tejashwi Yadav at his mother and former CM Rabri Devi’s residence.
A day earlier, RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary had said the party is ready to “embrace” JD(U) if Nitish Kumar agrees to break ranks with its ally.
Amid the political conundrum, a section of the media also reported that Nitish Kumar spoke to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi over the phone. The Bihar Congress, however, did not confirm this. "We are yet to get official info on Nitish Kumar speaking with Sonia Gandhi but we don't contradict it," ANI had quoted Bihar Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha as saying.