BJP refutes Nitish claim, says not instigating Bihar CM

The BJP Thursday refuted allegations by JD-U leader Nitish Kumar that it was instigating Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi not to resign from his post even after his government has reportedly been reduced to a minority.

"The BJP has nothing to do with it. It's nothing but the result of infighting of the JD-U," BJP leader and union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

Nitish Kumar, who had come to the national capital with over 130 legislators of the Janata Dal-United, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and the Communist Party of India to parade them in front of President Pranab Mukherjee, alleged that the BJP was behind the political crisis in Bihar and the Manjhi government was reduced to a minority.

"The BJP somehow wants to impose President's Rule in Bihar. I am not alleging anything, these are facts and they know it. The Bihar governor is encouraging horse-trading by not going for floor test in the house," Nitish Kumar said.

Prasad retorted: "The allegations are baseless and we reject them. This is a desperate Nitish who is yet to come to terms with his conclusive defeat in Bihar."

The BJP leader accused Nitish Kumar of running a proxy government in Bihar for a long time.

"When the chief minister (Manjhi) started removing his (Nitish's) loyalists from important positions, he got restless," he said.

"Nitish ji was running the government in Bihar through Jitan ji. When Jitan ji removed people close to Nitish ji, he got worried," Prasad alleged.

"Nitish ji has imposed baseless and untrue allegations on the BJP. We condemn his statement," he said.