Bihar CM Nitish Kumar wins confidence motion with 131 MLA votes

13:35 The ruling coalition of the JD(U), BJP and others got 131 votes while the opposition got 108 votes, Speaker Vijay Kumar Chowdhury said. The NDA had earlier submitted a list of 132 MLAs to the Governor. These include 71 of JD(U), BJP 53, RLSP two, LJP two, HAM one and three Independents. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the RJD has 80 MLAs,
the Congress 27 and the CPI-ML has three.

13:22 Tejashwi Yadav says he raised several questions in Bihar Assembly, but Nitish Kumar and the BJP had no answers.

13:20 The BJP and Nitish Kumar disrespected the mandate given to Mahagathbandhan: Tejashwi Yadav after Nitish Kumar wins trust vote.

13:05 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has won the trust vote in Bihar Assembly. 131 MLAs voted for the confidence motion, while 108 voted against the motion.

13:00 Bihar Speaker calls for lobby division to test the strength of the new Nitish Kumar government. MLAs have two options — for, or against the confidence motion.

13:00 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has spoken in Bihar Assembly. He says that his government will focus only on development. “The RJD ignored our party. The mandate was for a transparent, corruption-free government,” he tells Assembly.

12:25 BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav says Tejashwi Yadav Bihar's youth want to knwo how did the 22-year-old amass properties worth crores of rupees.

12:15 Typical of Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister has been calm inside the Bihar Assembly. He hasn't responded to any of the barbs directed at him or his party. The political stalwart is known for not speaking out of line. Is Nitish Kumar waiting for tempers to cool down?

12:00 Chief Minister has moved confidence motion in Bihar Assembly.

11:45 Tejashwi Yadav seems livid and angry. He takes the fight from Nitish Kumar to Sushil Kumar Modi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Why did Sushil Kumar Modi take oath as Deputy Chief Minister if he is facing cases? he asks. Further more he questions the Governor's decision to prepone swearing-in ceremony. Finally, he asks why did the Prime Minister tweet so quickly on Nitish Kumar's resignation.

11:40 Tejashwi Yadav says Nitish Kumar didn't discuss his resignation. The former Deputy Chief Minister says he was taking legal opinion and had informed Kumar about it.

11:30 Multiple reports hint at ruckus inside Bihar Assembly after Tejashwi Yadav said "Nitish Kumar must be ashamed of himself".

11:20 Nitish Kumar had decided to go with the BJP well before Wednesday. Whenever he fights alone, he is exposed. Nitish Kumar needs either the BJP or the RJD. I was used as a pawn: Tejashwi Yadav, according to a CNN-News18.com report.

11:06 Shadow on Floor Test? The Patna High Court will on Monday hear RJD's plea against Bihar Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi’s decision to invite Nitish Kumar to form the government despite RJD being the single-largest party.
RJD had on Thursday said it would move court as well as knock at the "people's door" to protest against the Bihar Governor's invitation terming it "blatant violation" of a Supreme Court judgement.

10:51 Meanwhile, BJP President has filed Rajya Sabha nomination for Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat.

10:50 BJP confident of sailing through trust vote. Party says it has the backing of 132 MLAs — a number comfortably more than the magical half-way mark of 122. "Very clear that we will win trust vote as we have support of 132 MLAs," BJP's Mangal Pandey tells ANI.

10:40 RJD and Congress MLAs are protesting against Nitish Kumar's "betrayal" with placards and slogans. Reports suggest that Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi is facing trouble entering Bihar Assembly.

10:33 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has arrived for the floor test in Bihar Assembly.

09:58 AAP fears BJP may attempt to destabilise govt in Delhi
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party accused Nitish Kumar of "double standards" for forming government in the state, a day after his dramatic resignation, with the support of the BJP. The party also claimed that the BJP may resort to "tactics" to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi. "We supported Nitish (Kumar) for his good governance record and his fight against the communal BJP," AAP's chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh said.

09:50 READ | 10 reasons why the Mahagathbandhan fell apart Just 20 months after he took oath as Bihar Chief Minister in November 2015, Nitish Kumar was again sworn in as Chief Minister for the sixth term after he formed an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party. Kumar cited irreconcilable differences with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on the issue of corruption charges levelled against Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav that created a rift in the Grand Alliance.

09:39 RJD to move court, go to the people on new govt in Bihar
The RJD on Thursday said it would move court as well as knock at the "people's door" to protest against the Bihar governor's invitation to the JD(U) and the NDA to form a government in the state in "blatant violation" of a Supreme Court judgement.

09:30 Unease in JD(U) over ties with BJP, Sharad Yadav 'unhappy'
JD(U) Rajya Sabha MPs Ali Anwar and MP Veerendra Kumar met senior leader Sharad Yadav here amid reports that he was also displeased with Nitish Kumar's action. Yadav, a former party chief and Leader of the JD(U) in the Rajya Sabha, has so far not commented on the development. Sources close to him said he was "unhappy" with the Bihar chief minister's move as he wanted the 3-party Grand Alliance, also comprising the Congress, to continue.

09:00 Lalu Prasad's RJD can play a spoilsport. The RJD says it has the backing of 27 Congress MLAs, 2CPI-ML legislators and a few Independents candidates. Some RJD leaders have even reportedly said JD(U) MLAs would cross over to them during the trust vote.

08:50 Remember, a section of JD(U) is unhappy about Nitish Kumar’s decision to walk out of Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and form a new government with the BJP.

08:47 While JD(U)+NDA combine makes a strong case for Nitish Kumar to effortlessly sail through the trust vote, discontent among JD(U) may make things tougher for the Chief Minister.

08:45 NUMBERSPEAK
Bihar Assembly — 243 MLAs
Half-way Mark — 122
JD(U) — 71 MLAs
NDA — 58 MLAs
RJD — 80 MLAs
​Congress — 27 MLAs

08:30 Hello and good morning. Crucial day for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as he seeks a trust vote.

THE STORY SO FAR

* Nitish Kumar sworn in as the Bihar Chief Minister on Thursday. Sushil Kumar Modi takes oath as Deputy Chief Minister
* Nitish Kumar will face a trust vote on Bihar Assembly on Friday.
* Section of JD(U) say they weren't kept in loop about alliance
* Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi accused Nitish Kumar of “cheating” the people and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).
* PM Modi congratulated the CM and Deputy Chief Minister
* Kumar had resigned on Wednesday evening after a prolonged rift over corruption allegations with ally RJD's senior leadership.

23:36 It's been another day of drama in Bihar. We'll be back with you live tomorrow morning for the trust vote in the Bihar Assembly.

22:12 The Aam Aadmi Party today accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of "double standards" for forming government in the state, a day after his dramatic resignation, with the support of the BJP.

The party also claimed that the BJP may resort to "tactics" to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi.

21:28 Terming the developments in Bihar as a "wrong signal for democracy", BSP president Mayawati said that misuse of power and official machinery by the BJP leadership posed a serious challenge to established democratic norms.

20:48 Lalu Prasad is currently meeting with RJD legislators at his home in Patna. What will be his next move?

20:20 Here's a summary of the cracks in the JD(U).

19:39

19:13 All eyes are on Sharad Yadav now. Will he stage a rebellion?

18:38 Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi has hit out at Nitish Kumar, saying he stabbed the RJD in the back and they won't align with him again.

18:18 JD(U) MP Ali Anwar says that Sharad Yadav was not kept in the loop about the party's alliance with the BJP.

18:11 The rift in the JD(U) is apparent now. The Kerala unit of the party has split with its parent, saying they won't support Nitish if JD(U) becomes part of the NDA.

17:55 A meeting of JDU) MPs is currently taking place. Party MP Arun Sinha says there is no rebellion in the party, also says that Nitish Kumar did not consult them.

17:40 Earlier this month, the CBI had registered a criminal FIR and conducted multiple searches against the former Bihar chief minister and others. Prasad's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, and others will be probed by the agency under charges filed in the Enforcement Case Information Report(ECIR), the ED equivalent of a police FIR. The case dates back to the time when Lalu was the railway minister in the UPA government.

17:20 The trust vote in the Bihar Assembly will take place at 11am on Friday.

17:09 New Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi says that many JD(U) leaders felt suffocated in the alliance with the RJD.

16:53 LJP leader Chirag Paswan says Lalu had defamed the JD(U). LDP is an NDA ally.

16:42 Sharad Yadav is expected to meet JD(U) legislators in the next half an hour. Will there be a rebellion in the ranks?

16:29 Nitish Kumar has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Buzz is that a special financial package for Bihar is on the anvil.

16:15 Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has congratulated JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar for taking over as the chief minister of Bihar.

16:00 More on Sharad Yadav: The JD(U) leader will meet Union Minister Sharad Yadav today.

15:55 The issue pertains to the land-for-hotels-deal case. You can find out more about the case here.

15:44 News agency Press Trust of India is now reporting that the Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering case against Lalu Prasad and his kin.

15:33 There is still some suspense as former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav may stage a rebellion. Sources have told CNN-News18 that Yadav is upset about the alliance with the BJP.

15:15 MUST READ | Bihar sees govt in sync with Centre after 20 years, hopes of special status brighten

15:13 Sushil Modi says that joining hands with Nitish Kumar will make NDA even more powerful in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

14:54 It's now Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's turn to vent. He tweets: If after campaigning against BJP you want to join BJP, spirit of democracy requires you2resign&seek a fresh mandate. This is amoral politics (sic)

14:46 The party has called the press meet to refute allegations levelled by Lalu Prasad against Nitish Kumar. The RJD chief had claimed that there was a murder case pending against the Bihar Chief Minister.

14:42 The JD(U) is now holding a press conference.

14:39 Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary claims Nitish Kumar's resignation was pre-planned.

14:34 It's not all good news for the JD(U). Former chief Sharad Yadav has met Congress leaders and called for a meet of JD(U) legislators at 5pm this evening.

14:24 The Congress is on the offensive, Senior MP Ghulam Nabi Azad says, “I think it has become Nitish ji’s habit to change parties and stands every few years.”

14:15 CNN-News18, quoting sources, says former JD(U) President Sharad Yadav will be inducted into the Union Cabinet.

14:05 Deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Modi says the party was in touch with a few MLAs from RJD and Congress, but was sure that BJP didn’t need their support. “We have the numbers. We have the support of 131 MLAs. We’ve asked for a floor test tomorrow. We are absolutely ready to prove our majority,” he said.

13:58 Nitish Kumar has tweeted once again thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and adding that there will be no compromise on corruption.

13:50 Some more bad news for the RJD. Its legislator Maheshwer Yadav says he will switch sides to the JD(U).

13:43 Lalu Prasad says he is considering an appeal in Supreme Court against  the Governor's decision.

13:41 Some humour on Bihar's political situation:

13:19 Senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi has reacted to Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of Nitish Kumar’s betrayal, He said, “Rahul has disappointed JD(U). Congress’ approach towards corruption is anyway not great and that’s why they had expected Nitish Kumar to overlook Tejashwi’s blatant corruption. But JD (U) and Nitish Kumar have always come down heavily on all those involved in corrupution.”

13:10 Nitish Kumar's government will face a trust vote in the Bihar Assembly tomorrow.

12.44 As Nitish Kumar joins hands with BJP, here is a look at 10 reasons why the Mahagathbandhan fell apart.

12.21 Lalu speaks out against Nitish. Nitish compromised on values and forgot anti-communal goal, says Lalu.

12.19 Even as Bihar Cabinet meet is underway at Nitish Kumar's residence, Lalu Prasad Yadav says that Nitish Kumar's move has hurt Bihar.

12.07 Hours before Kumar announced his decision to step down as Bihar CM and sever ties with RJD, Lalu, a seasoned politician who should have known otherwise, put his faith behind his son and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav against whom a CBI corruption case is currently on.

11.46 

11.:30 Even as Nitish Kumar engineered a coup and joined hands with BJP to form the government in Bihar, the Congress is mincing no words. On Thursday, the grand old party's vice-president Rahul Gandhi has accused Janata Dal (United) Chief Nitish Kumar of "cheating" the people and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).

11:15 Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav is livid on Nitish Kumar's decision. "I entered in govt with a clean slate with a keen desire of writing a positive story for people of Bihar, only to find an opportunist rival!" he tweets.

11:04 For those who missed it — Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said Nitish Kumar deserted the Mahagathbandhan for personal politics. He joined the wrong people, and “Nitish Kumar has cheated us," Gandhi says. He adds that he was aware of Nitish’s plans for the last 3-4 months. Nitish has gone against an anti-communal mandate given by Bihar, he says.

11:03 Ahead of the first Cabinet meeting of the new Bihar government, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says his decisions on resignation and alliances were based on the development of Bihar. When asked to comment on Congress VP  Rahul Gandhi's 'cheated' remark, Nitish says "sab ka jawaab denge."

10:55 CNN-News18 reports that Nitish Kumar has called in a Cabinet meeting at 1130 am. Thereafter, a test of strength would take place in Bihar Assembly. Looks like its business as usual for Nitish Kumar. Meanwhile, RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav has reached a court in Ranchi in a corruption case.

10:50 Congratulations to @NitishKumar ji & @SushilModi ji. Looking forward to working together for Bihar’s progress & prosperity. — PM Narendra Modi tweets.

10:43 Voicing Betrayal — Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi says Nitish Kumar has cheated us. Nitish Kumar misled me when we met previously. We knew for the last 3-4 months that this was going to happen, he says.

10:42 The Rise of Nitish Kumar

During 1998-99, Nitish Kumar served as the Union Minister for Railways and Minister for Surface Transport and later as the Minister for Agriculture in the AB Vajpayee government.

In 2000, Nitish became the chief minister of Bihar for the first time. But his government lasted only seven days.

He returned as Railway Minister in 2001, a position he served until the term ended in 2004.

His party merged with Janata Dal (United) in 2003 which was also part of the NDA.

He came to power as the Bihar Chief Minister again, after JD (U) and BJP won in 2005. The alliance convincingly retained power in 2010.

10:35 Nitish Kumar — Early political positioning

Belonging to the socialist class of politicians, Nitish Kumar was an active member of the Jayaprakash Narayan movement between 1974 and 1977. During this time, he also became close to Satyendra Narayan Sinha who would later become Bihar's Chief Minister.

In 1994, Nitish Kumar and George Fernandes came together to form the Samta Party. The party's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 1996 and 1998 Lok Sabha elections yielded good results and established Nitish as a leader of rich calibre.

10:30 JD(U)'s return to the NDA fold marks a significant shift in the fortunes of the Opposition parties. Nitish Kumar was seen by political experts as the strongest face of what is called the "united Opposition" or the "Grand Alliance" and was touted as a Prime Ministerial candidate by many. With Bihar, the Opposition was hoping for a strong Grand Alliance for 2019. Now, with this Gathbandhan, BJP will lead 18 states in India, strengthening its position for the 2019 elections.

Read More | Mission 2019: What Nitish alliance means for PM Modi and BJP?

10:20 Nitish Kumar first became Chief Minister in 2000, although for just 7 days.

10:15 Slogans of Inquilab Zindabad slogans were raised as Nitish Kumar took oath as the Bihar CM. The JD(U)-BJP combine is back in power after four years in Bihar. The Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) had walked out of the NDA in July 2013 after Narendra Modi was nominated as head of the BJP's campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

10:10 Nitish Kumar is now a six-time Chief Minister and second time in past two years. Some are terming it Nitish Kumar's "ghar wapsi" in to the NDA-fold. It was a short ceremony, in contrast to the last time Nitish Kumar was sworn in.

10:05 Sushil Kumar Modi is sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

10:00 Nitish Kumar starts taking the oath as Bihar Chief Minister. He says he will dutifully serve the state to the best of abilities.

09:55 Nitish Kumar has reached Raj Bhavan. He comes back at the helm within 24 hours of resigning as Chief Minister.

09:51 Sushil Kumar Modi has reached Raj Bhavan in Patna for the oath-taking ceremony. He will be inducted into the new Bihar government as Deputy Chief Minister.

09:50 Meanwhile, JD(U) heavyweight Sharad Yadav maintains silence on the happenings in Bihar and the JD(U)-NDA tie-up.

09:40 CNN-News18 reports that BJP leader JP Nadda says the party has ensured that the government in Bihar is not destabilised. BJP gave unconditional support for the prosperity of the state, he says.

09:33 "Just received invitation from Hon'ble Governor to take Oath and be a part of Bihar Govt" — BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi tweets.

09: 30 RJD offices offices across all districts in Bihar will hold protest march at 12 pm on Thursday. RJD is angry at the Governor for preponing the swearing-in ceremony to 10 am. Governor Tripathi had earlier invited Tejashwi Yadav and five other RJD MLAs for discussion.

09:20 Political potshots from Akhilesh Yadav?

09:15 The JD(U)-BJP combine returns to power after four years in the politically volatile state. Prodded by Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) had walked out of the NDA in July 2013 after Narendra Modi was nominated head of the BJP's campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

09:05 Tejashwi Yadav seems miffed. He says the Governor gave them an appointment at 11 am while calling in Kumar for swearing-in at 10 am.

09:00 Number crunching: JD(U) has 71 MLAs in the House, NDA 58 and Congress 27. While JD (U) and NDA together cross the halfway mark, RJD and Congress only have 107, which is 15 short of simple majority. Nitish has two days to  prove majority.

08:55 Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi has invited Nitish Kumar to take the oath as Chief Minister at 10 am.

08:44 Less than 24 hours after he resigned as Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar will back to do the top job in the state.

00:20 Tejashwi Yadav breaks his silence. Says he won't give up and will speak to the Governor on Thursday and stake RJD's claim as the largest party. Till then, we say good night with the story of how the RJD leader was at the centre of the storm which broke the Grand Alliance.

23:56 Nitish Kumar and MLAs have now reached the Governor's House

23:41 The RJD has said that Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav, who was the focus of the corruption allegations, will be the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.

23:12 The alliance is no more, and today's drama can be compared to when the JD(U) and RJD first came together. Read more.

22:54 The attention will now turn to the composition of Nitish Kumar's Cabinet and whether JD(U) leaders could get berths in the Union Cabinet.

22:51 More from Lalu Prasad on Twitter: All JDU MLAs caged in CM house since evening. Why so mch insecurity?Just cuz MLAs realise tht they are elected against BJP's divisive agenda.

22:44 Here's the latest: Governor Tripathi has been discharged and JD(U), BJP will form the new Bihar government on Thursday. Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister at 5pm.

22:30 Lalu Prasad is intent on making his voice heard. He has dared the JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar to declare fresh elections and seek a fresh mandate. "In Bihar, we had received record-breaking mandate against the BJP. Now, Nitish will run the government with the same BJP on "moral grounds," he has tweeted.

22:24 The BJP says it has faxed its letter of support to Raj Bhawan and the new government will be formed tomorrow.

22:19 Some more drama. There was speculation that JD(U) and BJP legislators may approach the Governor tonight to stake claim. But Governor Tripathi has now been hospitalised with a nose infection.

22:14 JD(U) leader Ajay Alok says the party could not afford to be seen as siding with the corrupt.

22:10 Another salvo from Lalu Prasad on Twitter: When Nitish Kumar broke alliance with BJP in 2013 he choreographed & followed the same script to secure himself. He surrenders as per needs

22:02 Sushil Kumar Modi refuses to say if he will be Deputy Bihar CM again, but says JD(U) and BJP legislators are holding a meeting at Nitish Kumar's residence at the moment.

21:59 BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi says the BJP will be part of the new government in Bihar.

21:58 The timing couldn't be worse for Lalu Prasad, who has a court case in Ranchi tomorrow morning and has to leave tonight amid this worsening crisis.

21:53 CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweets: A point to ponder. Bihar CM's resignation at this moment, when atrocities against Dalits and minorities are rising across India, helps whom?

21:42 Alliance partner Congress has now lashed out at Nitish Kumar, saying he has betrayed the people's mandate.

21:32 Bihar BJP Chief Sushil Modi said that he has communicated to Nitish Kumar via telephone that he will support him. "We have decided to support the Nitish-led government and we will convey our message to the Governor of Bihar as soon as possible."

"We have told him that we accept him as our leader and he is ready for it," Sushil said, adding, "we will support the government formed under him."

21:27 In fact, the JD(U) and BJP legislators are reportedly planning to meet the Governor and stake their claim to form a government tonight.

21:25 JD(U) legislators have now gathered at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence.

21:18 Lalu Prasad has tweeted too. He reiterates that Nitish was aware of the corruption allegations before the Grand Alliance was formed.

21:13 More from Twitter. Nitish Kumar has thanked has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his earlier tweet applauding the decision to resign.

21:07 CNN-News18, quoting sources, says that the BJP will inform the Bihar Governor on Wednesday that it will support the JD(U).

21:00 Those reports are now confirmed by BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. So a JD(U)-BJP  alliance government looks a likely outcome.

20:52 Unconfirmed TV reports suggest that the BJP has extended unconditional report to Nitish Kumar.

20:44 Union minister Smriti Irani will also contest the Rajya Sabha elections.

20:42 Meanwhile, amid all this drama, the BJP is now announcing that party president Amit Shah will contest Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat.

20:33 The Congress had repeatedly tried to defuse the fire, but the Grand Alliance now looks over.

20:23 More on the math: The RJD has 80 seats and the Congress has 27. Together, they reach 107, which is still short of the halfway mark of 122.

20:20 Lalu Prasad still wants this government to continue. "All RJD, JD(U) and Congress MLAs should sit down and pick a new leader and make a government," he said.

20:16 "Nitish Kumar is hand-in-glove with the BJP and RSS. What is this agreement? Prime Minister Modi tweeted immediately after Nitish's resignation. He even congratulated him." says Lalu.

20:08 Lalu Prasad says that as the single-largest party, the RJD has a claim to power.

20:02 A reaction from Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasudhara Raje. A BJP leader, she says it is only fair for the Prime Minister and the party to support Nitish Kumar.

20:00 He now claims there is a murder case against Nitish Kumar dating back to 2009.

19:58 Lalu says he repeatedly told Nitish Kumar that cases against him and his family were false.

19:56 I don't need to have an explanation for JD(U) leaders, says Lalu.

19:54 Lalu says he spoke about with Nitish for about 40 minutes last night. Insists that he did not seek Tejashwi's resignation.

19:52 A seemingly unruffled Lalu claims Nitish said he would die, but not join the BJP.

19:50 Lalu Prasad says Nitish Kumar was aware of the corruption allegations when the alliance was formed back in 2015.

19:47 We are happy that Bihar CM didn’t compromise on issue of corruption and did not kneel down before RJD: BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

19:45 Apart from an alliance, the BJP could also consider supporting Nitish Kumar's government from the outside.

19:40 He says the BJP's future strategy will be decided by the BJP's Parliamentary Party. Important: He said the BJP is not in favour of mid-term elections in Bihar.

19:38 BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi is now speaking.

19:34 Nitish Kumar has insisted that he did not seek Tejashwi Yadav's resignation. "I just asked Tejashwi to explain the charges of corruption," he said.

19:32 Still no official word from Lalu Prasad and the RJD.

19:30 Now for the math. There are 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly. The RJD is the single-largest party with 80 seats, but well short of the halfway mark of 122. The JD(U) has 71 seats and it can cross the 122-mark with the help of the BJP's 53 seats.

19:25 The BJP Parliamentary Party board is also set to meet in Delhi shortly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be in attendance.

19:23 The attention will turn to the math in the Bihar Assembly now. We'll bring you an update shortly.

19:20 The BJP core committee is reportedly meeting now. A reminder that the BJP and the JD(U) have ruled Bihar together before, but Nitish Kumar pulled the plug in the build-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

19:16 Big news. The Prime Minister has reacted. Modi has congratulated Nitish Kumar for taking a major step in the fight against corruption.

"The citizens of this country welcome and support this honest move," the tweet reads. "It is important for everyone to rise above politics and fight against corruption."

19:13 Here's the background of what led to this big step from Nitish Kumar: The two bigwigs, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav, had been at loggerheads ever since the CBI launched raids against Lalu's son and family. JD(U) leaders had demanded that Nitish's deputy Tejashwi should resign, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad always maintained that there was no possibility of his son resigning from the post of Bihar deputy CM.

19:10 Nitish Kumar says he tried really hard to keep the alliance intact, but he could not compromise any further.

19:08 A quick reminder that this government has lasted less than two years.

19:07 BJP non-committal as well. Ravi Shankar Prasad says it is up to Nitish what happens next.

19:04: The next big question: Will JD(U) form a government with the BJP's support? Nitish is non-committal and says it remains to be seen.

19:02 A full-fledged attack, this. Nitish says greed of Lalu family cannot be satisfied.

19:00 "It was becoming difficult to work with RJD," says Nitish.

18:59 Nitish says he spoke to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi earlier but no solution was hammered out.

18:56 Kumar confirms he submitted his resignation to the Governor. Says he quit in the interest of the Bihar.

18:54 Nitish Kumar is now speaking to the press.

18:50 "Has Nitish asked for the resignation of Tejaswi Yadav?" Prasad retorted in reply to a volley of questions by scribes regarding JD(U) insistence that the embattled deputy chief minister should come clean on accusations in public.

18:48: The development came hours after RJD President Lalu Prasad ruled out a resignation by his son Tejaswi Prasad Yadav as Bihar's deputy chief minister following the lodging of an FIR by the CBI against him in the land-for-hotels case and blamed the BJP for the 'present crisis' in the state.

18:45 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday resigned from his post amid a rift with coalition partner Rashtriya Janata Dal.