Saturday, March 5 2005 10:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Caretaker Chief Minister Rabri Devi will take stake claim to form a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Government in Bihar today (Mar 5, 2005).

RJD spokesman Shibanand Tiwari said that accompanied by her husband and RJD supremo Laloo Prasad, Rabri Devi would meet Governor Buta Singh and formally stake claim.

Asked if the party had obtained support of the required number of MLAs to form the Government, Tiwari said, ''We have decided to stake claim to avoid imposition of President's Rule in the State''.

Moreover, there has been a convention that the President had called the leader of single largest party in Lok Sabha to form the Government and prove majority in the house, Tiwari said adding that RJD with 75 MLAs emerged the single largest party and it's claim to form the Government was Constitutional.

The RJD has so far received letters of support from the 10-member Congress and one-member Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) besides supports from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati even though her two MLAs in Bihar had pledged not to support it. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) with three MLAs each have decided to vote for a secular Government in the State.