Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has stirred the poll pot by saying that he would release the last report card of his present term in June, five months before the government completes its term. Nitish also put to rest all speculation on a Cabinet expansion, saying it has ?no meaning now with elections coming?.
?We are preparing to face the floods, which look imminent amidst the forecast of a scorching summer,? the CM said. Fearing a public backlash if flood management measures are not up to the mark, his government has already allocated Rs 1,500 crore for disaster management.
Kumar said delimitation would have little bearing in the Assembly polls as the public mood is obvious from the last LS polls and Assembly by-polls. Asked if the seat-sharing formula with the BJP will change post delimitation, Nitish said: ?We will discuss it at the right time?.
However, the chief minister, who is a member of the legislative council, appeared surprised when asked which Assembly seat he would contest from. ?Entire Bihar is my constituency,? he replied. Before moving over to the national stage, Nitish used to contest from Harnaut in Nalanda.
Meanwhile, the fissures within the Bihar Congress are out in the open with AICC Bihar in-charge Jagdish Tytler and state Congress chief Anil Sharma coming into direct conflict after the former accommodated all ?rebels? who recently took their case to the high command. ?Though these leaders will report to me, Anil will be an integral part of any decision making process,? Tytler said.