M A I N   N E W S

After Goa, it may be Bihar’s turn for President’s rule
T.R. Ramachandran
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 5
Close on the heels of Goa, President’s rule appears to be on the cards in Bihar with no combination being in a position at least at this juncture to rustle up the magic figure of 122 for a simple majority in the 243-member Assembly.

Even as Bihar Governor Buta Singh has begun the exercise of examining various options in pursuit of providing a viable and stable government in Patna, the Union Cabinet met here today to take stock of the general political situation in the state.

The meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the chair lasted nearly 90 minutes. The political turmoil in Bihar is understood to have been discussed to avoid an embarrassing situation arising in Bihar akin to post election Jharkhand or Goa which witnessed resignations and the debarring a legislator from casting his vote necessitating the imposition of President’s rule last night and keeping the Assembly in suspended animation.

It is apparent the Cabinet went over various scenarios and the emerging political environment appeared grim from all accounts with no grouping in a position of chalking up 122 members.

The Cabinet, however, approved highway projects costing Rs 32,500 crore traversing 10,396 km, including 6,396 km in the Northeast and 4000 km under phase III of the National Highway Development Project.

Even as RJD supremo and Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav took the lead in Patna today by staking the RJD-led UPA’s claim to form the government, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar observed in the Capital that Mr Yadav’s RJD is in no position to form the government.

On the other hand, Mr Kumar insisted that the BJP-JD (U) pre-poll alliance had emerged as the largest entity which should be given the first opportunity by the Governor.

While acknowledging that this combination also did not have the requisite numbers, he dismissed Mr Yadav staking claim as yet another drama.

LJP kingmaker and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan continued to maintain that others joining hands with his party have impressed upon the Governor not to invite either the UPA or the NDA as there is no question of extending support either to the BJP or the RJD which has been rejected outright by the people of Bihar.

At the same time, Mr Paswan is taking up the cause of a Muslim being made the Chief Minister of Bihar which is viewed here as a camouflage to bring himself on centrestage.

According to BJP leaders, Mr Buta Singh has assured their delegation which met the Governor in Patna that he will not move an inch till he is convinced of a combination having worked out a tally of 122 members.

Since last Sunday’s fractured verdict in Bihar, the Governor has been beseiged with petitions against inviting the RJD to form a government. At the same time, Mr Buta Singh has also not received a single claim of having majority so far.

Mr Paswan’s bitter and at times vituperative rivalry against Mr Prasad has put a spanner in the works for the RJD-led UPA in establishing a secular formation in Bihar.

The LJP leader insists it is better to bring Bihar under Central rule and keep the Assembly in suspended animation as evidenced in Goa.

Two senior Congress leaders who did not want to be identified maintained that “President’s rule is certainly an option that is being considered in Bihar. That can only happen after the Governor has exhausted all the avenues before him in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution and recommends the imposition of President’s rule in the state.”

It is no secret that leaders of the NDA have been desperately wooing Mr Paswan who has remained unbending in his stand that the BJP and RJD have to be kept out of any permutation-combination in the formation of a secular formation in Bihar.