Bihar floor test soon, JD(U)-BJP confident of victory

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) boss Nitish Kumar, who jumped ship to the BJP last month, is set to take a floor test Monday to prove the alliance National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) majority.

The (NDA) has a total strength of 128 MLAs in the 243-seat Bihar Assembly. The majority mark is 122.

The BJP has 78 seats, Nitish’s JD(U) 45 and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha four . The remaining seat is held by an Independent MLA. The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and ally Congress have 114 seats.

The previous government or Mahagathbandhan of the JD(U), RJD, Congress and Left parties fell because of Kumar’s latest volte face. He was sworn in as the CM of the new coalition for a record ninth time on 28 January.

Since Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary belongs to the RJD, the House will first take up the no-confidence motion against him, state parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary had said Sunday.

“As required under the rules, 38 MLAs will rise in their seats to endorse the motion after which the Speaker will have to make way for his deputy who will conduct the proceedings until a new Speaker is elected,” he added.

Notably, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari belongs to the JD(U).