Saturday, March 5 2005 15:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Though the magic figure of 122 in the 243-member State Assembly eluded the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led alliance, caretaker Chief Minister Rabri Devi today (Mar 5, 2005) formally staked claim to form the next Government as the focus shifted to Raj Bhavan with no combination appearing to cross the halfway mark.

Accompanied by her husband and RJD president Laloo Prasad and State party president Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Rabri Devi drove to Raj Bhavan from her 1, Anne Marg residence and staked claim to form the Government.

Emerging from the meeting, Laloo said, "We have submitted a list of our 75 MLAs, ten of the Congress, three of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), one of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and two of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) who have pledged their support to us."

He said that though the CPI with three MLAs had not given its letter of support, it had assured that it would support a secular Government.

Laloo said that he told the Governor that since no rival combination (National Democratic Alliance - NDA) had staked claim, Rabri Devi, being the leader of the single largest party, should be invited to form a 'secular United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government' and given time to prove majority on the floor of the house, which is the appropriate forum to decide it.

He referred to Presidents inviting V P Singh, Rajiv Gandhi and then Atal Bihari Vajpayee to form the Government and prove the majority in the Lok Sabha since their parties, though not having a majority, were the single largest ones.

RJD (75) with assured support of Congress (10), BSP (two), CPM (one) and NCP (three) is still 31 short of the magic figure of 122 in the 243-member house.

Laloo also claimed support of 17 Independents though several of them have already declared to oppose RJD.

To a question whether he had approached the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) leader Ramvilas Paswan to muster support of his 29 MLAs for UPA Government, RJD chief replied in the negative.

The NDA's 92 MLAs, LJP (29), Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML), (seven) and Samajwad Party (SP), (four) have requested the Governor not to entertain RJD's claim stating that an overwhelming majority of the MLAs were against RJD.

"We also decided to stake claim to form the Government to avoid imposition of President's rule as neither the MLAs nor the people want it," he said.

Asked if Buta Singh responded favourably to the RJD's claim, Laloo said, "Governor saheb has told us that he will be taking an appropriate decision in keeping with the provisions of the constitution."

Meanwhile, focus shifted to the Raj Bhavan as neither of the two major formations have the majority.

Given the unsavoury incident involving the role of Governor in Goa and Jharkhand, political analysts believe that Buta Singh will tread with caution.

Meanwhile, the NDA threatened to launch an agitation and stage dharna in front of Raj Bhavan if the Governor invited Rabri Devi to form the Government.

BJP national Vice President Sushil Kumar Modi said that an NDA delegation would meet the Governor at 17:30 hrs (IST) today to reiterate its earlier stand against extending invitation to RJD to form the Government.

Some Independent MLAs would also meet the Governor later this afternoon to oppose RJD.