Nitish will support anyone who grants Bihar special status

Describing the political situation as "critical" after Trinamool Congress withdrew its support to the UPA government, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said that he would support anyone in the formation of the next government at the Centre if it grants special category status to Bihar.

"I will extend support to anyone in the formation of the next government if it grants special status to Bihar," he said while addressing a public meeting.

He said the political situation at the Centre had turned unstable after the TMC pulled out support to the UPA government.

He, however, did not say if he would fill the vacuum left by TMC's withdrawal and in that event extend support to the UPA government.

Kumar indicated that the UPA government might not collapse following TMC's withdrawal of support, saying the Congress was adept at managing the numbers required to run the government, but it would have to suffer ignominy in the next Parliamentary elections.

"Congress ke log jugad mein mahir hain. Lekin jitna din yeh sarkar chalegi utni hi durdasha iski aagami Lok Sabha chunav mein honi wahi hai (Congressmen are experts in problem fixing. But the longer this government runs, the more the brunt it will face in the next Lok Sabha elections),"  Kumar, a senior JD(U) leader, said.