Thursday, March 31 2005 11:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Rajgir (Bihar): Janata Dal United (JDU) yesterday (Mar 30, 2005) authorised its parliamentary party leader Nitish Kumar to hold talks with non-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) parties for installation of a "popular Government" in Bihar.

Amid the continuing political logjam over Government formation in Bihar, the JDU yesterday authorised Nitish Kumar to hold talks with non- RJD parties for installation of a "popular Government" even as its president George Fernandes claimed a non-RJD regime will be in place soon but ruled out snapping ties with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kumar, the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) choice for Chief Ministership, was authorised by JDU to hold talks with parties, which had fought the recent Assembly elections on anti-RJD plank on the second day of the three-day brainstorming session called to discuss the poll outcome and hammer out a strategy for Government formation.

"The conclave has authorised Nitish Kumar to hold talks with all non-RJD parties, including Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan, to speed up the process of installation of a non-RJD Government," JDU Lok Sabha member Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who along with deputy leader of the party in the lower house Prabhunath Singh moved the resolution at the "Samiksha Shivir", which was adopted unanimously, said.

Earlier, speaking to reporters Fernandes voiced confidence about installation of a non-RJD Government in Bihar soon and confirmed that JDU leaders were in touch with Paswan on this crucial issue.

Though replying in the negative to a question about whether he was personally in touch with Paswan, Fernandes said, "Our party leaders are in constant touch with him."

When pointed out that Paswan wanted JDU to break its alliance with BJP before seeking the support of his party, Fernandes ruled out such a possibility saying, "We have an old bond of friendship. Political alliances are not made in day to be broken suddenly."

Before Fernandes, one of the most vocal JDU members in the Lok Sabha, Prabhunath Singh, claimed that talks with Paswan (on Government formation) were "at an advance stage" and that Nitish Kumar-led Government would be installed "latest by next month" to bring curtains on President's rule.

"Don't go by media reports. The scene, which looks dark (as portrayed by the media) at this moment is not true," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conclave where the speakers termed the President's rule as "no panacea for the problems of Bihar".

Claiming that he had had several rounds of talks with Paswan, whose 29 MLAs hold key to Government formation, Singh said that LJP leader's response was "positive and encouraging".

"There are some irritants in the way but these will be sorted out in a congenial atmosphere," he admitted.

The JDU leaders, including office bearers and legislators, while addressing the conclave reposed "total faith" in Nitish Kumar whom they described as the "fittest person" for Chief Ministership.

A section of the newly elected MLAs, including Shravan Kumar, Ramnath Thakur and Shahid Ali Khan asked the party leadership to make all possible efforts to form a non-RJD Government failing which it should decide to go for fresh elections to secure a "clear-cut mandate to form a JDU-led Government".