Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav greet acting Speaker Maheshwar Hazari during special session of Bihar Legislative Assembly, in Patna, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (PTI Photo)(PTI08_24_2022_000057B)The new Grand Alliance government in Bihar won the trust vote with ease on Wednesday with JD(U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launching a sharp attack against his former ally BJP, accusing it of “trying to finish” his party since the 2020 polls leading to his decision to break their tie-up. Nitish also said that he had “no ambition other than serving Bihar”. Reacting to the results, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said Bihar has given a special message to the nation through the result of the confidence vote.
The government won the trust motion with 160 votes in its favour and none against as the Opposition BJP, with a strength of 77 MLAs, staged a walkout before voting began. All the seven non-BJP parties in the 243-member Assembly voted in favour of the government — four MLAs were not present. The session was presided over by Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari after Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, a senior BJP leader, resigned from the post before the vote.
During the debate on the motion of confidence, Nitish Kumar said that the Central government is taking credit for state government schemes. He alleged that Har Ghar Jal was a state government’s scheme. “The scheme for roads in rural areas was launched under Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt. You are kids, please learn. This govt at centre does not deserve credit for this,” he said.
The Bihar BJP on Wednesday chose Vijay Kumar Sinha, who stepped down as Speaker of the state Assembly, as the leader of its legislature party.
In a communication sent to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal requested that Sinha be accorded the status of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
Serving his third consecutive term from the Lakhisarai Assembly segment, Sinha has also been a minister from 2017 to 2020. (PTI)
Bihar has given a special message to the nation, through the result of the confidence vote for Mahagathbandhan in the Assembly, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance won the trust vote in the state legislative assembly on Wednesday, as the Opposition BJP staged a walkout.
During the debate on the motion of confidence, Nitish said leaders like A B Vajpayee and L K Advani “treated him with respect”, and added that he had snapped ties with the BJP in 2013 “in protest against these senior leaders being sidelined.” Read More
Even the press is not being allowed to stay independent in the country under the Modi-led BJP government, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said. "we must fight together to make a difference," he said in the Assembly.
Bihar Chief Minister won the trust vote as the opposition staged a walkout in the Assembly.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he has no personal ambition but wants to work for Bihar on the allegation of his ambition to become the Prime Minister.
'Leaders like Vajpayee, Advani treated me with respect,' Nitish Kumar said in Bihar Assembly. He said he snapped ties with BJP in 2013 in protest against them being sidelined.
"In 2017, when I demanded central status for Patna University, no one paid attention to it. Now you (Central govt) will do the same to advertise your work. They have control over social media & Press. Everyone is discussing only Centre's work," Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said in the Assembly.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is facing a floor test in Assembly said that the Central government is taking credit for state government schemes. He alleged that Har Ghar Jal was a state government's scheme. "The scheme for roads in rural areas was launched under Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt. You are kids, please learn. This govt at centre does not deserve credit for this," he said.
'With Nitish and Lalu Prasad, no one can take away voting rights of Muslims in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav said in Assembly. He said the RJD had two options, either to tolerate rising social tension or to join hands to save the country of Gandhi and Lohia.
BJP has three sons-in-law —ED, CBI, and IT, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said in Bihar Assembly. He said BJP will launch these agencies on those who cannot be bowed down or bought over. He added that their partnership (with Nitish) would do wonders. "This will be a long inning." He said.
The central government is conspiring to change history, Bihar Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said in the Assembly. He said the Bihar government refused to drop chapters on the non-alignment movement and the cold war from the syllabus.
The election of the Speaker in the Bihar Assembly will be held on August 26. Deputy speaker Maheshwar Hajari will run the Assembly till the speaker is elected.
As the floor test to prove the Nitish-led government's majority began in the Bihar Assembly, BJP leader Tarkishor Prasad said the JD(U) could never win any polls on its own in the state. Nitish only changes his Deputy and wants to remain CM, he said in the Assembly.
Senior JD(U) leader Devesh Chandra Thakur on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for election to the post of chairman of the Bihar legislative council.
Thakur, who is serving his fourth term as an MLC, filed his nomination papers in presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former CM Rabri Devi, both of whom are members of the House, besides Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and a number of other leaders of the 'Mahagathbandhan'.
According to the Vidhan Parishad secretariat, voting will take place on Thursday.
The 'Mahagathbandhan', comprising the chief minister's JD(U), RJD, Congress and the Left, enjoys a comfortable majority in the 75-member House. (PTI)
(Express Photos)
Bihar Assembly Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari on Wednesday accused outgoing Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha of having “insulted Dalits” by denying him the opportunity to conduct proceedings of the House after stepping down.
Sinha, after announcing his resignation and adjourning proceedings till 2 pm, had said that Narendra Narayan Yadav of the JD(U) shall be in chair in the post-lunch session.
Hazari, also of the JD(U), was later seated inside the speaker's chamber by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, among others. (PTI)
The floor test to prove the majority of Nitish Kumar's government has begun in the Bihar Assembly.
As the proceedings resumed at 2 pm, the Bihar Assembly was again adjourned till 2.20 pm, when the Nitish Kumar government will face a floor test.
Announcing his resignation, Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha adjourned the Assembly till 2 pm.
Hitting out at the BJP after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residences of two Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, former chief minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi said the Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav-led government was not afraid. “This isn’t happening for the first time,” she told news agency ANI.
Speaking to reporters, Bihar Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazar asserted that after the Speaker resigns, the responsibilities of the Assembly are taken over by the Deputy Speaker.
Announcing his resignation, Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha adjourned the Assembly till 2 pm.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary raised an objection to this as the floor test would be delayed because of it.
Bihar Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha Wednesday resigned from his post, “bowing to the majority”, ahead of the Nitish Kumar government’s floor test.
Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha, Sinha stated that Narendra Naryanan Yadav will take over the Chair and preside over the agenda set by the government.
Bihar Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha Wednesday stated that the no-confidence motion moved against him was unclear as eight of the nine people’s letters, which were received, were not as per the rule.
CPI-ML MLAs on Wednesday morning gathered outside the Bihar Assembly and demanded the resignation of Speaker VK Sinha. "Conspiracy to scare us through raids won't work. It's a conspiracy to topple our Government. Our proposal for No-Confidence Motion against Speaker should be considered and discussed," they said, according to news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders, too, protested outside the Vidhan Sabha over hurt religious sentiments. They carried placards saying, "Disrespect to Hindu gods won't be tolerated". The BJP in Bihar has taken objection to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visiting a temple in Gaya that bars entry of non-Hindus with state minister Mohammed Israil Mansoori and has demanded an apology from Nitish for “hurting sentiments” of people from Hindu religion.
On March 14, a heated exchange took place between Vijay Kumar Sinha and Nitish Kumar on whether a matter being probed by the government, which had also been referred to a privilege committee, could be raised on the floor of the House time and again. Nitish made his displeasure evident when Sinha asked Cabinet minister Bijendra Yadav to apprise the House of the steps taken in an incident involving police action in Lakhisarai, for the second time. Lakhisarai is Sinha’s constituency. Read more about the Speaker here
The CBI Wednesday launched search operations in Patna and Madhubani in Bihar against RJD leaders in connection with the “land for jobs” case it is probing against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members.
Sources said the raids are being carried out at the premises of RJD treasurer and MLC Sunil Singh as well as two Rajya Sabha MPs from the party. CBI officials, however, did not disclose the identity of these leaders.
This comes on a day when the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government backed by the RJD will face a test of majority in the Bihar Assembly. Read more
In what is likely to cause a showdown between the ruling JD(U)-RJD alliance and Opposition BJP, the Bihar Assembly secretariat late Tuesday evening, on the advice of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, changed the business schedule for the special two-day session to advance the no-trust motion against Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha. Now, after the Speaker’s address, the House will take up the resolution for his removal. This will be followed by a trust vote against the Kumar government, after which reports of Assembly committees will be tabled.
In the initial schedule prepared by Sinha early on Tuesday, he was to address the House, preside over the tabling of reports and the trust-vote against the government, before the resolution against him was taken up.
The change in schedule gives Sinha two options; he could choose to resign after addressing the Assembly or face the resolution on his removal. However, Sinha could also reject the resolution, a move that could create a constitutional crisis. Read more
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