Jitan Ram Manjhi appoints his loyalist as chief whip before confidence vote

PATNA: Before the February 20 confidence vote in Bihar, a controversy has arisen with Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi appointing his loyalist as the chief whip while the incumbent Shrawan Kumar claiming it to be illegal and asserting that he continues to occupy the position.

Rajiv Ranjan, an MLA from Islampur in Nalanda district today claimed that in a letter dated February 7, Manjhi in the capacity as Leader of the House had sent a letter to the Assembly Speaker to appoint Ranjan as the chief whip in place of the incumbent Shrawan Kumar, a Nitish Kumar loyalist.

"But the Assembly Speaker is sitting on the request letter and delaying notification to this effect," Ranjan told PTI.

He said if the matter was not settled in his favour, he would approach Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and also Parliamentary Affairs department on the subject.

Ranjan said he would issue a whip to all JD(U) members to vote for Manjhi during confidence vote and those violating it would be expelled.

"I will get the whip published in newspapers a day before that is on February 19 so that nobody has the excuse of not getting it at their address," Ranjan, who hails from Nitish Kumar's native Nalanda district but fell out with him said.

The incumbent JD(U) chief whip Shrawan Kumar, however, said it was an unconstitutional step and he continued to remain in the position.