Jitan Ram Manjhi is new Bihar CM

On Saturday, Nitish Kumar resigned taking moral responsibility of JD(U)'s dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls

The Janata Dal (United) on Monday named Bihar SC/ST minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to succeed Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister. Manjhi is a member of the mahadalit community.

 

This comes in the wake of Nitish Kumar's resignation as the CM. Kumar resigned on Saturday taking moral responsibility of his party's poor show in the Lok Sabha election.

 

Earlier, Kumar refused to withdraw his resignation, following which the JD-U legislature party authorised him to elect a new leader. 

 

"With Nitish Kumar refusing to withdraw his resignation, the JD-U legislature party has unanimously authorised him to elect a new leader to head the government," JD-U state president Vashsisht Narain Singh said at a press conference here.

 

Singh said a delegation of party leaders, including president Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar, will meet Governor D Y Patil on Monday evening to stake its claim to form the government.

 

He said the party has a clear majority in the state assembly.

 

"There was no danger to the government. Nitish Kumar resigned taking moral responsibility of JD-U's rout in the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

 

He also said Nitish Kumar will lead the party in the next state assembly polls due in 2015.

 

On Sunday, Kumar had sought time till Monday to reconsider his decision after party workers said they will not accept anyone else and asked him to withdraw the resignation.