Nitish Kumar-led Bihar govt wins trust vote in Assembly; BJP stages walk out

India

oi-Deepika S

New
Delhi,
Aug
24:
Nitish
Kumar-led
Bihar
government
on
Wednesday
won
a
trust
vote
in
the
state
legislative
assembly
amid
a
strong
protest
by
BJP
legislatures
who
later
walked
out
of
the
assembly.

A
total
of
160
MLAs
voted
in
favour
of
the
confidence
motion
while
no
vote
was
cast
against
the
same.
The
lone
MLA
of
AIMIM,
Akhtarul
Iman,
whose
party
is
not
a
part
of
the
ruling
alliance,
also
took
part
in
the
exercise
and
supported
the
confidence
motion.

The
BJP
legislators
walked
out
of
the
Bihar
Assembly
as
Kumar
launched
a
scathing
attack
on
the
Centre.
“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,
the
Bihar
CM
said
in
the
Assembly.

In
his
speech
that
lasted
for
about
half
an
hour,
Nitish
Kumar
made
indirect
references
to
rebellion
by
LJP’s
Chirag
Paswan,
allegedly
at
BJP’s
behest,
and
attempts
to
cause
a
split
in
JD(U)
through
his
former
protege
RCP
Singh.

Kumar
spoke
of
his
interactions
with
leaders
from
across
the
country
whom
he
has
urged
to
stay
united
for
the
2024
Lok
Sabha
polls.

“We
(RJD
and
JDU)
have
taken
the
pledge
to
work
together
for
the
development
of
Bihar.
Leaders
from
across
the
country
called
me
and
congratulated
me
on
this
decision
and
I
urged
all
of
them
to
fight
together
in
the
2024
elections,”
said
Nitish
Kumar.

Nitish
Kumar
also
recounted
his
old
association
with
the
BJP
and
underscored
the
contrast
between
the
current
dispensation
and
the
era
of
Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee,
L
K
Advani
and
Murli
Manohar
Joshi.

“Leaders
like
Vajpayee,
Advani
treated
me
with
respect;
snapped
ties
with
BJP
in
2013
in
protest
against
them
being
sidelined,”
said
the
chief
minister.

Without
mentioning
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
by
name,
he
said
“the
current
dispensation
does
little
except
publicity
(‘prachar
prasar’)”.

As
BJP
MLAs
protested,
he
added,
“You
(BJP
MLAs)
are
all
running
away?
You
will
only
get
a
position
in
your
party
if
you
say
things
against
me.
You
all
must
have
got
orders
from
your
superior
bosses.”

Nitish
Kumar’s
convoy
attacked
in
Patna,
11
arrested

Sinha’s
resignation
came
after
a
no-confidence
motion
against
him
was
moved
by
the
MLAs
of
the
ruling
coalition.

Further,
the
election
for
Bihar
Assembly
Speaker
will
take
place
on
August
26.