BJP top leaders to meet to discuss political situation

With the rift in the NDA over the elevation of Narendra Modi as BJP's election campaign committee chief, BJP leaders are meeting here today, as three of six Independent MLAs said they were yet to decide on supporting JD(U) in the event of a split.

A meeting of BJP ministers and party office bearers has been called in the late afternoon to discuss the political situation, state BJP President Mangal Pandey told PTI.

He said Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and all BJP ministers will participate in the meet.

Pandey said BJP national President Rajnath Singh is arriving in Patna on June 23.

Meanwhile, of six Independent MLAs, two Vinay Bihari and Pawan Kumar Jaiswal who met Rajya Sabha MP RCP Singh, a close confidant of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar yesterday, have pledged support to the JD(U).

Three others, Dulal Chand Goswami, Som Prakash Singh and Jyoti Rashmi, said they were talking to their supporters and would take a decision when the time arrived.

Som Prakash Singh said he was in favour of the government completing its five year term.

The sixth MLA Dilip Verma told PTI that he was in favour of Narendra Modi and "there is absolutely no chance of going with Nitish Kumar in the event of a split.

The lone CPI Legislator Subodh Roy said his party would take a call when needed.

Meanwhile, while Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had not reached office till the afternoon, many other BJP ministers did so and said they would continue to serve with dedication as long as they were in office.

Road Development Minister Nand Kishore Yadav, who is the NDA convenor in Bihar, said "I am very much in my office and working."

Tourism minister Sunil Kumar Pintu and Labour minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal, both BJP ministers, echoed Yadav.

There are 11 BJP ministers, including Sushil Modi, in the NDA government in Bihar.

In the 243-member House, JD(U) has 118 MLAs, including Speaker Udai Narayan Chaudhary, and it needs only four legislators to run the government on its own.

There are 91 BJP MLAs, 22 RJD, 4 congress, one each from LJP and CPI and 6 Independents.

"The country needs Narendra Modi today ... There is absolutely no chance of me supporting the Nitish Kumar government in the event of split," Verma said.