3 RJD MLAs sit on government side ahead of trust vote of Nitish government

In anticipation of the floor test for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government to prove its majority, RJD MLAs Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi, and Prahlad Yadav were observed sitting on the government side in the Bihar Assembly, causing a significant upset to the Opposition. Responding to this, former Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav stated, “MLAs should sit on their respective seats till the end of voting; otherwise, voting will be considered invalid.”

The Bihar Assembly is currently engaged in discussions on the motion to remove Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary. Simultaneously, RJD party workers were detained in Patna for protesting against the Bihar government, alleging that two MLAs were coerced to sit on the side of JDU’s whip. RJD Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav expressed concern, stating, “Two MLAs, Chetan Anand and Neelam Devi, have been made to sit on the side of JDU’s whip. They were given threats and whatnot. What kind of horse trading is this?”

As MLAs are being shifted to secure locations ahead of the trust vote, both the JDU-NDA alliance and the RJD party claim to have the majority. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, taking a veiled swipe at RJD, asserted, “Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the JDU-NDA government will prove its majority on the floor. Our numbers are going to increase. Nothing will happen, no matter what the opposition does. Jungle Raj will not return to Bihar.”

RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari stated that all MLAs are determined to save Bihar, expressing confidence in the triumph of democracy. RJD MLA Bhai Virendra claimed to have the majority, saying, “Yes, we have (the majority mark). I have all the numbers…We will be ahead in the floor test.”

The trust vote follows Nitish Kumar’s oath-taking as chief minister for the ninth time, forming a government with the BJP after breaking the alliance with the RJD. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs, with the BJP and HAM-S contributing 79 and 4 MLAs, respectively, and the NDA, with the support of an Independent MLA, totaling 128 MLAs against the Mahagathbandhan’s 115. To secure a majority in the 243-member House, the ruling alliance requires 122 votes.