Tejashwi Yadav meets Bihar governor, stakes claim to form govt

In a ripple effect stemming from developments in Karnataka, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, accompanied by the Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and CPI(ML) leaders, called on Governor Satya Pal Malik today, and staked claim to form government in Bihar.

During the meeting with the governor, Yadav demanded that RJD, being the single largest party in the state and also constituting the single largest pre-poll alliance should be invited to form government.

"We met the governor and submitted a memorandum stating that we have support of 111 MLAs, those of my own party as well as our allies -- the Congress and the Hindustani Awam Morcha -- besides CPI(ML).

"We said that we have 111 MLAs together and if we are asked for floor test, we are confident of winning, as more legislators are likely to vote in our favour," he told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan.

Yadav, who is the Opposition Leader in the Assembly, said, "The point we are trying to make is that there has to be one rule in the country. If the Karnataka Governor's decision to invite the BJP on the ground of it being the single largest party was proper, then the same yardstick should be applied to Bihar. The RJD, by virtue of its being the single largest party in the state, should be allowed to form government here." The RJD was relegated to opposition in Bihar last year after the JD(U) walked away from the three-party alliance, which also involved the Congress, and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government under Nitish Kumar.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the RJD is the single-largest party with 80 MLAs, while JD(U) has 71 legislators and the BJP has 53. NDA constituent LJP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party have two seats each. The Congress has 27 MLAs.

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in Karnataka Assembly, was invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to form government despite the JD(S)-Congress combine staking claim by citing the support of 117 MLAs. The Congress won 78 seats and the JD(S) 37.

The majority mark in Karnataka Assembly is 112 seats. Elections were held for all but two of the 224 seats.