The newly-formed Mahagathbandhan government of seven parties under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday won the trust vote in the Bihar Assembly, amid a walkout by BJP MLAs during Kumar’s address. A total of 160 MLAs voted in favour of the confidence motion moved by the government while no votes were polled against it.
Addressing the Assembly, Kumar spoke of his interactions with leaders from across the country whom he has urged to stay united for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Kumar, while addressing the special Assembly session, said, “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.”
No personal ambitions: Nitish Kumar
In his speech that lasted for about half an hour, the Chief Minister also accused the Centre of taking credit for the schemes that were rolled out by the state government. Kumar also asserted that he had “no personal ambitions”, rejecting BJP’s charge that his move was aimed at becoming the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition camp.
The JD(U) leader 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. Without mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name, the Bihar CM said that the current dispensation does little except publicity.
ED, CBI, IT, 3 ‘Jamaais‘ of BJP: Tejashwi Yadav
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav launched a tirade at the BJP, at the Bihar Assembly today, stung by raids on a number of multiple RJD leaders.
Yadav referred to central agencies — Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax (IT) department — as the three “jamaais” (sons-in-law), sent by the BJP to states where it is not in power. “When BJP fears or loses in the state, it puts ahead its three ‘jamai’ (son-in-law), CBI, ED and IT… When I go to foreign countries, BJP issues lookout notices against me and when fraudsters like Nirav Modi run away, they don’t do anything,” Yadav said, triggering angry reactions from the Opposition benches for the use of “unparliamentary” language for central investigative agencies.
“You are all scared of facing 2024 polls as the united opposition in Bihar will trounce the BJP. Hence the three ‘jamaai’ are being sent,” the RJD leader added.
BJP leaders rose in protest against the repeated use of the word “jamaai” in the Assembly. Later, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari said that he will look into the rulebook, and if the term was unparliamentary, it would be expunged.
Bihar Assembly Speaker VK Sinha tenders resignation
Earlier in the day, Bihar Assembly Speaker VK Sinha tendered his resignation ahead of the trust vote, saying that the no-confidence motion against him by the ruling coalition MLAs was passed in an unfair manner. Sinha had earlier said that notice for the no-confidence motion was not clear. “Eight of the nine letters, which were received, were not in accordance with the rules,” Sinha had said.
The election for the new Bihar Assembly Speaker will take place on August 26, the deputy Speaker announced before adjourning the House till Friday.
CBI raids in multiple locations
On Wednesday, the CBI carried out raids at a mall in Gurugram, which some media reports suggested was owned by Tejashwi Yadav and his associates. However, Yadav later said that his name was being dragged into it, and a “narrative being created by some”.
“CBI is conducting a raid at a mall in Gurugram, Haryana. I have got information that this mall which is currently being raided by CBI was inaugurated by a BJP MP. Don’t know why my name is being dragged into this, a narrative is being created by some,” Yadav told reporters.
Earlier, this morning, CBI conducted raids at 25 different places in connection with the “land for jobs” scam. Raids were conducted at the residences of RJD leaders — MLC Sunil Singh, MPs Ashfaque Karim, Faiyaz Ahmed and Subodh Roy — in Bihar. Raids are underway at different places in Delhi, Haryana’s Gurugram, and in Patna, Katihar and Madhbani in Bihar, ANI reported.