BJP backs Nitish, elects Jaiswal as chief

Amid the ongoing confusion and demand from JD(U) leaders that the NDA should name Nitish as CM face and that the government should be formed once again under his leadership, Union minister and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar once again clarified on Tuesday that assembly elections in Bihar would be contested under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

- Arun Kumar

PATNA:

He was addressing party leaders and workers after working president Dilip Jaiswal was formally elected as state BJP president for three years after the state council meeting. Khattar was deputed as observer for the meeting. "Bihar assembly elections will be contested under the leadership of Nitish Kumar and NDA government will be formed once again in Bihar," he said and asked party workers to gear themselves up for the polls.

Last week, state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal had said, "The elections will be fought under NDA leader Nitish Kumar but the CM will be decided after the polls by the (BJP's) Parliamentary Board." This once again sent confusing signals among NDA alliance partners which for the last two months had been organising joint meetings in every district. The NDA alliance leaders reacted quickly and backed Kumar for CM post.

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, the HAM(S) chief, said he would back Nitish as the CM candidate. On Friday, at Dalit Samagam in state capital, which was briefly attended by the CM, Manjhi said, "The NDA will win 225-plus seats in the House of 243 under Nitish Kumar's leadership."