Bihar floor test: CM Nitish Kumar to seek Trust Vote tomorrow, RJD challenges JD (U) strength

Patna (Bihar) [India]: Hours before the Trust Vote of the new Bihar government that is scheduled for tomorrow, back-to-back meetings were held by the ruling and the opposition parties. In a new development senior police officers of Patna made a brief visit to Tejashwi Yadav’s government bungalow late night on Sunday reportedly on a complaint of ‘missing’ RJD MLA Chetan Anand.

According to the letter by RJD MLA Chetan Anand’s brother, Ayushman Anand complained alleging that his brother has been ‘missing’ since yesterday.

A video of Chetan Anand playing cricket at Tejashwi’s residence surfaced.

Bihar Congress CLP leader Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khan said, ‘…Khela hoga. Congress is united. The truth will win…”

On the contrary, JD-U MLA Gopal Mandal after the party meeting, said, “2-3 MLAs were not present today but they are in touch with us…Koi khela nahi hai…”

Congress ally RJD MLA Vijay Singh said, “…No one can buy the RJD MLAs and hence there is no relevance of any offer… We are 115 and all are intact… Tomorrow people will see who possesses how much strength in Bihar politics… RJD is ready for everything that happens…”

JD-U leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said, “2-3 MLAs were not present today but they have informed the party that due to some reasons they could not come today…”

Meanwhile, Vikassheel Insaan Party Chief Mukesh Sahani said, “The government does not want the youth of Bihar to be employed in good jobs. They have reduced the youth of Bihar to labourers in other states…

Mahagathbandhan and NDA are doing their politics. We’ll continue fighting for the people’s rights after whatever is decided tomorrow…”

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “There is nothing to fear. The big question is why are (RJD) MLAs locked inside the house of former deputy CM (Tejashwi Yadav)? We will win…”
JD(U) has issued a three-line whip asking all MLAs to be present during the floor test. JD(U) MLAs were not shifted anywhere before the floor test.

Earlier, Nitish Kumar arrived at the residence of state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary for the meeting of the party MLAs.
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MLA Shalini Mishra, who did not attend the party meeting, said that she went to Delhi for some personal work.
The JD-U MLA also asserted that the NDA alliance led by CM Nitish Kumar will win the floor test with full force, which is set to take place tomorrow.

“There was nothing to doubt about this. I had gone to Delhi after informing the party leadership of some personal work and today I have returned. I want to say that NDA will pass the floor test with full force and we will work for the development of Bihar. No MLA has been put under house arrest. Everyone has freedom and this shows how secure and safe we are under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar,” she said.

BJP MLAs were shifted to a resort in Bodh Gaya for two days and they reached Patna on Sunday evening. The party said it was for training and not out of poaching fear.
JD-U leader KC Tyagi said, the “kind of fear and insecurity present in the RJD-Congress camp shows how unstable both parties are. This time, the opposition will have nothing to cheer about”.

JD-U MLA Zama Khan said, “All MLAs have come.”

Another party MLA Vinay Kumar Choudhary said, “We are safe under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar…It is confirmed (passing the floor test).”

BJP leader Haribhushan Thakur said, “We will win the floor test with a comfortable margin. Nitish Kumar will remain our CM with two Deputy CMs and this govt will complete its term… Jitan Ram Manjhi is with us…”

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi said that all MLAs (BJP, JD-U, HAM) will be present tomorrow and PM Modi has done a good job by bringing CM Nitish Kumar into his team.

“Everybody is intact in NDA. We have 128 members and this figure may increase because today everybody holds PM Modi’s leadership in high regard. He has done a very good job by bringing Nitish Kumar with him. Our experiment will be successful on 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. All MLAs (BJP, JD-U, HAM) will be present tomorrow,” he said.

Notably, the trust vote of the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar is scheduled for February 12. Nitish Kumar, earlier this month, had dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the INDIA bloc to form a new government with the support of the BJP in Bihar.

Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary arrived at Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha’s residence in Patna.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said that to remove the Speaker of the Assembly, the JD-U and BJP need the votes of half the total members, i.e., out of the 243 members in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha, the NDA will need 122 votes.

Bihar assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary, an RJD leader, is facing a no-confidence motion after several leaders from the BJP-led NDA sought his removal
“From Article 179(c) of the Indian Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Nabam Rebia case, it is clear that to remove the Speaker, you need the votes of half of the total members of the Assembly. This means that out of 243 members, you will need 122 votes to pass the motion to remove the Speaker,” Manoj Jha said.

After days of speculation, JD-U chief Nitish Kumar resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months. Snapping ties with the RJD and Congress, Nitish formed a government with BJP’s support, and took oath as Bihar’s CM for ninth time.

Nitish Kumar cited the state of affairs being “not right” under the Mahagathbandhan as his reason for quitting. He said that he has been receiving suggestions from everywhere, including his party workers, and he listened to all of them to come to this decision.

At present, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP has 128 seats in the Bihar assembly, of which the BJP has 78 seats, the JD(U) 45 and the Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) four. The remaining lone seat is held by an Independent MLA.

The Opposition holds 114 seats in the Bihar House and needs 122 for a majority.