PATNA, 6 March 2005 — Keeping aside the speculations of the imposition of president’s rule in Bihar, caretaker Chief Minister Rabri Devi yesterday met Bihar Governor Buta Singh and formally staked the claim to form the next RJD government in the state. She was accompanied by her husband and Rashtriya Janata Dal(RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Rabri Devi submitted to the governor a list of 75 MLAs of the party, besides letters of support received from Congress secretary and in charge of Bihar affairs Harikesh Bahadur and BSP chief Mayawati. She also claimed that three MLAs each of NCP and CPI and one MLA of CPI-M have pledged their support to an RJD government. She requested the governor to invite her to form the government and give the RJD time to prove majority on the floor of the state assembly.
Emerging after meeting the governor, Lalu told reporters that the RJD should be the obvious choice for the governor as it was the single largest party. So he should invite Rabri Devi, who has already been elected leader of the RJD Legislature Party, to form the government. “We have also staked claim to avoid imposition of president`s rule in Bihar as the term of outgoing assembly expires on Sunday,” he said.
The NDA (92 MLAs), LJP (29), CPI-ML (7) and SP (4) however, have already petitioned the governor requesting him to refuse to entertain the RJD claim as an overwhelming majority of the MLAs were against the party’s formation of government in the state. Several of 17 independents have also decided not to support RJD.
Lalu later told reporters that the house was the appropriate forum to decide whether a government enjoyed majority or not. He cited the example of the president having asked even V.P. Singh, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Behari Vajpayee whose parties had emerged as the single largest, to form the government and prove the majority in the Lok Sabha.
Lalu said any other combination opposed to RJD had not so far staked claim to form the government. The opposition had only petitioned the governor to stop the RJD from coming to power, he added.
He said he wanted installation of a secular government comprising UPA allies but parried a question as to whether he was in touch with the LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan to muster support to prove majority. He also claimed support of several of the 17 independents and expressed confidence that Rabri Devi would prove her majority if she was given a chance.
