UPA will complete term limping from crisis to crisis: Nitish

Amidst the position taken by the Samajwadi Party on the SC&ST quota Bill, the outside support of which is crucial for survival of the UPA government, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ruled out the possibility of mid-term elections.

"The Manmohan Singh ministry will complete its term by limping from one crisis to another and elections in all probability will be held on time," Kumar told reporters here.

"Like FDI issue, the UPA government will manage to sail through on the SC&ST quota Bill too through its 'jugar technology' (managing anyhow)...I do not see any possibility of general elections being held before time," the CM said after the 'Janata ke Darbar me Mukhya Mantri' programme.

The Congress-led coalition at the Centre survived even when it did not have even a simple majority on the issue of allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, he said.

The UPA government would overcome the challenge on the bill for quota in promotion for SC/ST in government jobs by "cobbling up numbers anyhow," the chief minister said.

Stating his party was in favour of it and would vote for the Bill, the senior JD(U) leader said, "The SC & ST continue to lag behind socially and educationally and such facilities are still required for them." he said.

He said the SC & ST enjoyed such facilities in the state as the NDA government put it in practice after conducting a survey on the condition of weaker sections at the direction of the Supreme Court.

Asked if his party was preparing for elections, Kumar under whose leadership the NDA had won 32 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the last elections and confined RJD to only four seats, said "JD(U) is ready 24 hours to face any election."

On SP's allegations of misuse of CBI for political purposes, Kumar said "its better to ask SP leaders about this ... I do not know much about such things."

Asked about his failure to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee during his recent visit to Kolkata, Kumar said he only wanted to make a courtesy call, but it did not happen as his flight on Friday was delayed by bad weather.