Nitish Kumar-led NDA govt wins trust vote in Bihar Assembly as Oppn walks out

Kumar jumped ship from the Mahagathbandhan alliance late last month to join forces with the BJP, his second such volte-face this term.

Patna: The newly formed NDA government in Bihar on Monday won the trust vote in the state assembly, amid a walkout by members of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’.

In the 243-strong assembly, a total of 129 members voted in favour of the motion of confidence.

Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari was in the Chair when the voting took place.

Hazari ordered a headcount after having declared the motion as passed through voice vote, following a request from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, which was seconded by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Kumar had recently dumped the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, of which the RJD was a key constituent, and returned to the NDA fold to form the government with support of the BJP.

Earlier, taking part in the debate on the motion, the JD(U) chief alleged that the RJD indulged in corrupt practices during the party’s rule in the state, and the new NDA-led government will initiate a probe into it.

Kumar also claimed that during RJD's tenure, several communal riots took place in Bihar.

"There was no law and order. The RJD indulged in corrupt practices during its rule (before 2005)... I will get these probed,” he said.

Speaking in the assembly, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said he always considered Kumar to be a “father figure”, and wondered what forced him to ditch the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ and return to the BJP-led NDA.

“I always considered Nitish Kumar as 'Dashrath' (character from the epic ‘Ramayan’). I don't know what reasons forced him to ditch the Mahagathbandhan,” the former deputy CM said.