Will elect new leader: Sharad Yadav after Nitish Kumar’s resignation as CM

Patna: JD (U) legislature party will elect its "new leader" on Sunday following resignation by Nitish Kumar, party chief Sharad Yadav said here.

"A new leader will be elected in today's meeting which will start at 4 PM. Our entire party including Kumar will participate in it. The legislators will decide who will be the new leader," Yadav said upon his arrival. Asked whether Kumar could be re-elected as the JD (U) legislature party leader, Yadav did not rule out the possibility and said the decision of the party will be supreme.

"I had also resigned earlier. Nitish Kumar had also resigned when he was the Union Railways Minister. Whatever the party decides, will be supreme," added Yadav.

Elaborating on the decision of Kumar to resign from the CM's post, the JD (U) President said that it is in continuation of the party's move to meet the challenges posed by National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"The step that we have taken is aimed at Delhi. It is for meeting the challenge that has come up in the country. It is to unite the country from all around and protect the Constitution of India. Right now this is limited only to the JD (U), but later on the same decision will be taken by other parties," asserted Yadav. 

Sources in JD (U) said that they have been assured of support from Congress as the JD (U) legislature party meets today to elect its leader after Kumar quit taking moral responsibility for the party's Lok Sabha poll debacle.

Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, who is a senior leader from Bihar, said Congress has been supporting JD (U) government from outside and there was no reason to discontinue it.

"We have extended support to Nitish Kumar government to check communal force. I personally see no reason to withdraw support," he said.

BJP has 89 seats in the Assembly and RJD 21.

JD (U) also has support of one CPI MLA and two Independents. There are six vacancies in the House.

Nitish Kumar yesterday resigned along with his council of ministers, but did not seek dissolution of the Assembly, injecting a dramatic turn in state politics.

"The Lok Sabha election results have not been good for JD (U). The people's mandate has to be respected. So, I have tendered the resignation of my council of ministers. I had led the campaign. So, it is my duty to take moral responsibility and I must take," Kumar had told reporters after resigning.

The tenure of the present government was till November 2015. Yadav had said a new government would be formed in Bihar by JD (U).