Bihar Floor Test Live: CM Nitish Kumar-Led Govt’s Litmus Test Today, Speaker To Face No-Trust Motion

Bihar Floor Test Live: Chief Minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar is slated to present a motion of confidence for his government in the assembly on Monday, February 12, during the commencement of the state’s budget session. Proceedings will kick off at 11 a.m. with an opening address by the Speaker, followed by the Governor’s speech in the joint session at 11:30 a.m.

Subsequently, legislative proceedings will resume in the assembly. Among the key items on the agenda is a resolution regarding the removal of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker, which will be deliberated upon. Post the Speaker’s ruling, CM Nitish Kumar will table a motion of confidence for his government in the assembly.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar gathered party MLAs for a crucial meeting at the residence of state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary in anticipation of the impending floor test. The meeting was held as JD(U) MLAs were relocated to Chanakya Hotel in Patna, in readiness for the floor test scheduled to be conducted in the Bihar Assembly tomorrow (February 12). This move signals the strategic preparations underway within the party for the significant political event.

Congress MLAs Return To Patna, RJD To Oppose No-Confidence Motion Against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary

In a related development, Congress MLAs from Bihar returned to Patna after a week-long sojourn in Hyderabad, news agency IANS reported. The return of the legislators, a day prior to the floor test of the new NDA government in Bihar, follows their relocation to Hyderabad to safeguard against potential poaching attempts by BJP and JD(U) members in the lead-up to the trust vote. Sixteen MLAs had been accommodated at a resort near the city since February 4, with security arrangements in place throughout their stay. 

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has reiterated its stance of offering staunch opposition to the ruling NDA during the impending no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary. RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha urged legislators to vote according to their conscience during the motion, hinting at the discontent within JD(U) over Nitish Kumar’s recent decisions. The assertion by RJD sets the stage for a contentious political showdown in the Bihar Assembly.

Notably, the NDA coalition, comprising JD(U), BJP, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, and an Independent, boasts a combined strength of 128 MLAs, contrasting with the 114 MLAs of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, consisting of RJD, Congress, and three Left parties. Amid speculations surrounding Speaker Chaudhary’s potential resignation to avoid the embarrassment of a vote out, the Vidhan Sabha secretariat’s released business agenda indicates the immediate consideration of the no-confidence motion against him following the customary address by the governor on the inaugural day of the budget session.