NEW DELHI: Keeping its cards close to its chest, BJP today said it is yet to take a decision on supporting Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi but said he looks confident of proving his majority while the Nitish Kumar camp "disappointed".
BJP also said that the majority has to be proved on the floor of the Assembly and not in any party's office, as claimed by JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, whom the party accused of being "hungry for power" and stood exposed for wanting the Chief Minister to be his "puppet".
"We haven't taken any decision yet but we are sure that Jitan Ram Manjhi who is the Chief Minister, according to his statements is very confident and Nitish Kumar's camp looks very disappointed," BJP Spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
He said the majority has to be proved in the House and not in any party office as claimed by Kumar.
"Majority cannot be proved inside any room or party office. It has to be on the floor of the assembly.
That is why whether Manjhi has majority or not, Nitish Kumar has support of how many MLAs, it will be decided only on the floor of the Assembly and not party office. As the main opposition it is our responsibility that we monitor the situation," he said.
Continuing his attack on the former Bihar Chief Minister, Hussain said, "He is hurling allegations only on BJP. He needs to tell the public in Bihar as to what was the reason that he broke an alliance with BJP...wasn't it his own aspiration and greed...did the aspiration of being a Prime Minister not force him to part ways with BJP?."
"Didn't you say during Lok Sabha elections that Modi wave is a blower wave and in the same wave you got two seats. Still you did not realise? When you had said that you will leave power and became a 'tyagi', you will have to explain to the people of Bihar...," he said.
Hussain also accused Kumar of "insulting" the CM post and caring only about power.
"Isn't it right that your ministers keep on insulting the institution of Chief Minister? Manjhi made them ministers but they kept their loyalties with Nitish Kumar. Today you say that you want to be the Chief Minister with support of so many people, then why did you leave earlier?
"Nitish Kumar stands exposed and he has nothing left other than his greed for power. Yesterday's press conference of Manjhi was an eye opener that Nitish wanted the CM to work as a puppet and this was the reason that he made two centres of politics in Bihar...he played the 'tyagi' on one hand and was greedy for power on the other," he said.
Tyagi alleged that the "language" Manjhi was speaking after meeting Modi yesterday was "scripted" at the Prime Minister's residence.
He also said the "character assassination" campaign against JD(U) leaders was a handiwork of the "BJP headquarters".
He rejected suggestions that removing Manjhi was an "anti-Dalit" move. "When Kiran Bedi was replaced by Harsh Vardhan, was it a move against the Vaish community," he quipped.
He said the JD(U)'s constitution authorises the party president to take any emergency decision, but it has to be ratified by the JD(U) National Executive within a month. He said constitutions of BJP, Congress and even AAP give similar powers to their party presidents.
Tyagi said Bihar Governor should either ask Manjhi to prove his majority in 48 hours or appoint Nitish Kumar the next CM and give him an opportunity to prove his strength on the floor of the legislative assembly in the same period.
He hoped that the Governor would follow all constitutional norms while taking a decision on the issue.