Saturday, April 2 2005 13:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Claiming that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had authorised its Chief Ministerial candidate and senior Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Nitish Kumar to take initiative for Government formation in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (April 2, 2005) said it would fully support Kumar in his bid to cobble together a majority to form a popular Government.

''NDA has authorised Nitishji to carry forward the dialogue for installation of a non-RJD popular Government. BJP will fully support Kumar whom the NDA projected him as Chief Ministerial candidate during the elections,'' party's national vice president Sushil Kumar Modi said.

Modi said that the BJP was keeping ''a close watch'' on the developments taking place with respect to forming a Government and it would discuss the strategy at its national executive meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on April 5.

''The State executive of party will also meet in Patna on April 9 and 10 to review the political situation," he said.

When his attention was drawn to Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan's statement in Ranchi yesterday (April 1, 2005) that let the JDU severe its ties with the BJP first and that the issue of taking inside or outside support from the BJP would be decided later on, Modi said, ''Paswan's statement was a sign of his flexibility.''

''We expect more flexibility from Paswan in days to come to pave the way for installation of a stable and effective Government,'' he said.

''We will decide on the issue of supporting the Government from inside or outside at the national executive meeting,'' he added.