Bihar Assembly: with 128 MLAs, Nitishto face floor test onFeb 12

Bihar Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary made his stance very clear that he would not step down from his post, besides making the announcement that he would not resign until the Assembly Session, which commences on February 12, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to face a floor test. Choudhary, who belongs to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is currently the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly. The NDA leaders want to remove him before the floor test. On January 28, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nand Kishore Yadav issued a notice of no confidence against the Speaker to the Secretary. A no-confidence motion can be brought against the Speaker after 14 days of giving notice to the Secretary. If 38 MLAs support the no-confidence motion, the voting process can be completed. On the other hand, Jitan Ram Manjhi demands two ministerial berths in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, adding fresh tension to the government. HAM(S) has four members in the assembly, and their role becomes crucial during the trust motion. While Congress offers CM post to Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM(S), state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said: “Wo aa jayenidhar, ham log banadetehainMukhya Mantri (We will make him the CM if he joins our alliance).” JD(U), however, has said Manjhi was solidly with the NDA. “Their (opposition’s) one-point programme is to destabilise the NDA government in the state. However, it will not happen.” The JD(U) and the BJP leaders have been asserting the vote of confidence would be a smooth affair as the ruling coalition, comprising JD(U), BJP, Hindustani Awam Morcha and a few other parties, have a majority of 128 members in the 243 member state assembly, while the opposition has 114 MLAs.