After stout refusal a day before, Bihar Assembly Speaker resigns ahead of floor test

Minutes after a long speech on the dignity of the House and the Chair, Bihar Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha on Wednesday resigned from his post after a no-confidence motion against him was tabled.

"Allegations against me unacceptable; decided not to step down without setting record straight," Sinha said before resigning.

Sinha, a senior BJP leader, on Tuesday stoutly refused to step down from his position.

“I view the no-confidence motion as springing from a lack of trust, not in me, but the Chair itself. The notice of the motion received at the Vidhan Sabha secretariat has done away with rules, regulations and parliamentary niceties,” he read from a written statement on Tuesday.

Track Bihar-related developments here

“Bound by the Chair, I feel it is incumbent upon me to reject such a notice. Some baseless and personal allegations have been made in the notice against me. My style of functioning has been called undemocratic and dictatorial,” he said.

"The Chair is 'Panch Parmeshwar'. What message do you want to give by casting suspicions on the Chair? People will make a decision," Sinha said in the Assembly on Wednesday.

"I would like to tell you that your No Confidence Motion is unclear. Eight of the nine people's letters, which were received, were not as per rule," the Speaker told the House.

"Bowing before majority, I resign as speaker," he said before adjourning the House till 2 pm.

Sinha made a hasty exit from the House, and MLAs of the BJP, almost all of whom were wearing saffron scarves and raising slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Jai Shri Ram', followed suit.

The Assembly will witness the floor test of the new Mahagathbandhan alliance today. The 'Mahagathbandhan', which comprises the chief minister's JD(U), besides RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M), has a combined strength of more than 160 in the 243-strong House.

Sparks are set to fly in the afternoon when the BJP, now stripped of power and politically isolated, will try to hold its own against the mighty seven-party ruling Mahagathbandhan alliance.

(With agency input.)