Yadav said Bhandari's utterances were irresponsible, motivated and against constitutional norms. The Governor's remarks have heightened the fear in the ruling party circles that the RJD government is about to be dismissed. Laloo has reacted by charging the Governor with creating utter confusion and chaos in Bihar and demoralising the administration.

The Bihar Assembly will tomorrow debate the confidence motion moved by the RJD government yesterday. Laloo today betrayed his fear that a section of his own party legislators who are unhappy with his stand on Vananchal may defy the party whip and vote against the government. Though he didn't admit this directly, hetold media persons that the Governor's remarks were aimed at influencing the voting pattern.

``I would never mind BJP's leaders making comments against the government. But the Governor being a constitutional head should not have made such a statement,'' he said.

Laloo threatened to move the court in case the government was dismissed. Painting a rosy picture of the law and order situation in the state, Laloo said Bihar was peaceful and ranked sixth in terms of law and order.

It is a firm assurance from CPM General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu to back him in his war against the Centre that has made Laloo hit out at the Centre and the Governor.

RJD sources say in the last couple of days Laloo has held several rounds of discussions with leaders of the CPM and Samajwadi Party. Surjeet and Basu are said to have assured him that they would urge the President not to invoke Article 356. In fact, Laloo today said a delegation of the Loktantrik Morcha and the CPMwould call on President K R Narayanan and request him not to agree to President's Rule in the state.

According to these sources, Laloo has also held talks with Sitaram Kesri and other Congress leaders. It was at their suggestion that senior leaders of the state Congress Rajo Singh and Ramashraya Prasad Singh suggested moving of the confidence motion to strengthen his case in court. The sources said Supreme Court counsel Kapil Sibal is already preparing the draft of a petition to be submitted before the court if the Bihar government was dismissed. While the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samata Party are collecting evidence to prove that the state is being actually run by Laloo and not his wife, Rabri Devi, the Rashtriya Janata Dal will try to counter this allegation. Interestingly, though all the press meets of Laloo take place at the residence of the Chief Minister, no invitation is ever issued. Even the files, sources maintain, don't carry any remarks by him. In this regard, the Bharatiya Janata Partyand Samata are relying mainly on the Governor's report which has a reference to this.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal will also try to the counter the charge of financial mismanagement.