Nitish Kumar government wins floor test in Bihar Assembly

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government on August 24 won the floor test in the Assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders staged a walkout.

The Special Session started on a stormy note with Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha also stepping down. The Speaker election will be held on August 26, said Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari.

Hazari ordered a headcount upon a request by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who said that though a voice vote had clearly showed support of the majority, the count would leave no room for any confusion.

Altogether, 160 MLAs voted in favour of the confidence motion while no vote was cast against the same. The lone MLA of AIMIM, Akhtarul Iman, whose party is not a part of the ruling alliance, also took part in the exercise and supported the confidence motion.

Earlier this month, Kumar had stepped down as Bihar CM after walking out of the BJP-led NDA alliance. His JD(U) then joined hands with Congress and RJD and he was sworn in as the chief minister for a record eighth time on August 10.

The 'Mahagathbandhan,' which comprises JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI, and CPI(M), has a combined strength of more than 160 in the 243-strong House.

"We (RJD and JDU) have taken the pledge to work together for the development of Bihar. Leaders from across India called and congratulated me on this decision and I urged them all to fight together in the 2024 elections," Kumar said in the Assembly.

He also said BJP leaders like the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as well as L.K. Advani had treated him with respect. He cut ties with the party in 2013 in protest against them being sidelined. He also told the BJP to not just mention the 2020 Assembly polls, but to recall the elections of the past when JD(U) won more seats than BJP. He asked BJP where they were during India's fight for Independence. He said the party's only task is to create disturbances in society.

He also spoke about how his request for central status to Patna University was not accepted. "But then the Centre will do the same to advertise its work. They have control over social media. Everyone is discussing only the Centre's work," he said, adding that all that is happening in Delhi is for publicity.

After some BJP leaders staged a walkout following Kumar's floor test win in the Assembly, he called after them asking them why they were running away. "You will only get a position in your party if you say things against me. you all must have got orders from your superiors," he said.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation subsequently raided at least 25 locations, including a Gurugram mall linked to Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Other locations included the residences of RJD MPs Ashfaque Karim, Faiyaz Ahmad, RJD MLC Sunil Singh, and former RJD MLC Subodh Roy in Patna.

Deputy CM Yadav said at the Assembly  that the Gurugram mall raided by CBI is not his and it was inaugurated by a BJP MP. "Whenever BJP is not in power, it sends its three "jamais" (sons-in-law) — ED, CBI and IT," he added.