Bihar: NDA gets ready to stop Lalu

Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar on Saturday said Bihar Governor Buta Singh should not call the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal to form the next government in the state.

JD-U is a partner in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. The combine has won 92 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly.

The Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD approached the governor on Saturday and staked claim to form the government claiming it has emerged the single largest party in the state. The RJD has won 75 seats.

Also see: Rabri stakes claim to form govt

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Nitish said the JD-U and BJP leaders will soon call on the governor.

When asked if the NDA will stake claim too, Nitish said: "Why should we stake claim. The governor knows that we are the largest pre-poll alliance. It is now up

to Ramvilas Paswan to think what to do next," he said.

Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, with its 29 MLAs, has the ability to put in power either of the two combines -- the one led by Lalu or the BJP-led NDA.

Also see: LJP ridicules RJD for staking claim

Lalu has claimed the support of the Congress, some MLAs of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of India and a few Independents.

Paswan on Saturday yet again made it clear that he will not support any political combination that has the RJD or BJP in it.
   
Soon after caretaker Chief Minister Rabri Devi staked claim to form government in Bihar, Arun Jaitley, BJP's general secretary in charge of party affairs in Bihar, met JD-U leaders Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav in New Delhi.

The meeting took place at Sharad Yadav's Tuglak Road residence.