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Vinod Pande invites Rabri, Nitish for talks

Soroor Ahmed in Patna

Rashtriya Janata Dal politician Rabri Devi, chief minister of Bihar, and Samata Party politician Nitish Kumar, leader of the National Democratic Alliance legislature party, met Governor Vinod Chandra Pande today and submitted lists of the MLAs supporting them. This followed an invitation from the Patna Raj Bhawan.

Earlier in the day, Rabri Devi gave in her resignation to the governor following the constitution of the new assembly, and was asked to continue till a new government takes over.

The NDA has claimed to have the support of 146 members, including the 12-member Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and 10 independents, many of them in jail.

JMM president Shibu Soren met Pande today and gave him a letter supporting the NDA's attempt to form a government.

The NDA is also believed to have succeeded in garnering the support of at least 12 of the 20 independent MLAs in the new assembly, most of them outlaws.

Later, Nitish Kumar told reporters that some more independents are likely to support the NDA.

Several prominent NDA politicians met the legislators lodged in Beur Central Jail in Patna yesterday to negotiate a deal. The leader of the jailed legislators, Suraj Bhan, who is accused in 26 different cases, told reporters that their group is supporting the NDA so as to give a new direction to development in the state.

Meanwhile, Mohsina Kidwai, Congress general secretary in charge of Bihar, left for Delhi this afternoon after soliciting the views of each of the 23 party legislators on the issue of supporting the RJD. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Sadanand Singh told rediff.com that Kidwai would present the views of the legislators before the Congress Working Committee, which will take the final decision in the matter. But he refused to say what their views were.

EARLIER REPORTS:
Bihar governor may turn down both claims to form government
Rabri Devi stakes claim to form government

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