Friday, January 27 2006 15:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today (Jan 27,2006) asked the Centre to consult him in keeping with the Sarkaria Commission's report and the Supreme Court's verdict in appointing an honest and fair person as successor to Buta Singh, who resigned as Governor in controversial circumstances yesterday(Jan 26,2006).

A fair and honest person should be selected for the post of Governor and I am of the firm view that the Centre and Union Home Minister should consult me on the issue so that a mutually acceptable person is appointed+, Kumar told reporters after a meeting with the outgoing governor at Rajbhavan which lasted for an hour and forty five minutes.

Expressing the hope that Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil would talk to him before announcing the name of new Governor, Kumar said there had been a tradition of Centre consulting Chief Ministers on appointment of the Governor.

"The matter was also discussed in the national integration council," he said.

Patil saheb did have a talk with me a couple of days ago but definitely not on this issue+, the Chief Minister said while replying to queries.

On speculations about Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde or senior Congress leader C K Jaffer Sharief's appointment as Buta's successor, Kumar said, "It is for you people (the media) to guess."

I have not come across the name of any person for the post either officially or unofficially, he said and added that he had also not suggested the name of anybody for the post.