Picture : Twitter/ ANI
The newly-formed ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar comfortably won the motion of confidence amid a walkout staged by MLAs of the BJP — which has been stripped of power as a result of the recent political upheaval in the state.
Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari ordered a headcount upon a request by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the parliamentary affairs minister, who said that though a voice vote had clearly showed support of the majority, the count would leave no room for any confusion.
Altogether 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.
Some of the BJP MLAs, who had staged a walkout while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was delivering his speech, stormed the House demanding that the deputy speaker not waste time on a redundant headcount but take up businesses scheduled for the day and announced a boycott of the proceedings.
Proceedings were, subsequently, adjourned till Friday by the deputy speaker who also informed the House that on Thursday nomination papers will be filed for election of a new speaker, the post having fallen vacant upon the resignation of BJP’s Vijay Kumar Sinha.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his speech said that the current dispensation at the Centre does “little except publicity”.
Kumar said this in his speech during a debate on the motion of confidence for his government. “Their (BJP) only task is to create disturbances in society,” Kumar said.
He expressed anguish over the BJP “only blowing the trumpet of the government at the Centre. Even our own scheme Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal which has been replicated nationally is being talked about as if it was their initiative All that is happening out of Delhi today is publicity.
“The current dispensation does little except publicity (prachar prasar’).”
