J'khand: Munda quits, Koda likely to be next CM

NEW DELHI: The NDA received a body-blow on Thursday as BJP asked Arjun Munda to step down as it couldn't muster the required support ahead of the confidence vote.

Earlier, the BJP-led government lost its majority as four independent MLAs withdrew support, reducing the NDA strength to 39 in a House of 82. Speaker Inder Singh Namdari then asked the chief minister to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Ever since the MLAs, whether in the BJP camp or in the Congress had a good time. Fearing poaching by either side, they have been taken on a tour of the country.

The UPA MLAs were however more lucky than their BJP counterparts. Their picnic and sojourn in exotic locales in far away Kerala, Mussorie and an unspecified location in Rajasthan came to an end on Wednesday with a sumptuous breakfast spread out for them by railway minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav at his 25, Tughlak Road official residence here.

As many as 37 MLAs were invited for Lalu’s breakfast on Wednesday under a specially erected shamiana. Media persons were informed early about the breakfast meeting.

Parading them before newspersons, a confident-looking Lalu said six more legislators have written to back the UPA, bringing the total number to 43 in a House of 82.

After the “naasta”, all the 37 legislators were flown to Ranchi in a chartered flight.

Yadav is likely to fly to Ranchi on Thursday to “oversee arrangements” (i.e to prevent NDA from poaching UPA MLAs) even as Munda is confident that he would prove his majority as the strength of the House was reduced to 78 with the Speaker disqualifying the four rebel MLAs.

“Their efforts will come a cropper and the NDA balloon has already burst,” Lalu said.