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Updated August 14th, 2018 at 12:25 IST

Patna High Court refuses to intervene in new JDU-BJP-led Bihar Government

The Patna High Court, on Monday, turned down a pair of pleas challenging the new Nitish Kumar-led state government which came into power after the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) broke its Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, instead returning to the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA's) fold.

Reported by: Ankit Prasad
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The Patna High Court, on Monday, turned down a pair of pleas challenging the new Nitish Kumar-led state government which came into power after the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) broke its Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, instead returning to the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA's) fold.

The division bench, comprising of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A K Upadhyay, dismissed the two PILs as 'frivolous', saying there's no need for the court to intervene after the floor test in the Assembly, which Nitish Kumar won with 131 MLAs for the motion versus 108 against.

Read | Post-split, Rahul Gandhi accuses Nitish Kumar of cheating

One of the PILs was filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs Saroj Yadav and Chandan Verma and the other, by the Samajwadi Party's Jitendra Kumar. Earlier, on Friday, the High Court had adjourned the hearing on the two PILs till Monday. The trust vote took place mere hours later.

The petitions had asked for the court to intervene and issue a direction inviting the single largest party in the state to form a government. In the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, the Lalu Prasad-led RJD had emerged the biggest party with 80 seats. Nitish's JDU had 71, the BJP had 53 and the Congress, 27. 

Read | BJP urges Sharad Yadav to have faith

Nitish Kumar had ended the alliance on July 26, on a day (and night) of intense drama. His resignation from the post of CM came amid a string of corruption allegations coming to light concerning Tejashwi Yadav, the then Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and son of former CMs Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. Lalu Prasad, who has already been convicted in the Fodder scam had seen his RJD party emerge as the single largest in the 2015 Bihar elections. However, fulfilling a pre-poll promise, he had supported Nitish Kumar becoming Chief Minister, though he did manage to get key ministerial berths for his sons. 

 

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Published July 31st, 2017 at 13:23 IST

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