JD-U meet urges Nitish to continue as Chief Minister in Bihar

The party MLAs of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Sunday after a crucial meeting has urged Nitish Kumar to continue as Chief Minister, citing popular sentiments in the state.

"We want Nitish Kumar to continue as the CM in Bihar," JD-U leader, Neeraj Kumar said.

He challenged the leaders of the BJP to form the Government in the state if they have the wherewithal to engineer any defection from the JD-U. "If BJP leaders have it in them, I dare them to form a government in Bihar," he asserted.

Another JD-U leader, Sanjay Singh said,"We have requested Nitish Kumar to withdraw his resignation and he has sought one day's time to make a decision. We have said that without him Bihar cannot be run as this is the popular sentiment of the people of the state."

Nitish Kumar, tendered his resignation on Saturday to Governor Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil after taking moral responsibility for the defeat. Later, Patil accepted the resignation.

Nitish Kumar has not recommended dissolution of the assembly, thus leaving a window for formation of a new government, if any other party cobbles up majority in the 243-member house. The JD-U legislators were expected to meet on Sunday evening to elect their new leader.

The JD-U won only two parliamentary seats out of 40 in Bihar while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) cornered 31 seats.Modi's BJP won 282 seats, 10 more than the majority required to rule.

With its allied parties, in the recently concluded general elections paving for a comfortable tally of around 337 - the clearest result since the 1984 assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi propelled her son Rajiv to office.