Bihar Floor Test Results: Nitish Kumar Secures Victory, RJD Walks Out

Bihar Floor Test Live Updates: Three RJD MLAs (Prahlad Yadav, Neelam Devi, and Chetan Anand) Defect to NDA During Session

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Secures Victory in Assembly Floor Test with 130-0 Tally

In a significant development, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar emerged victorious in the floor test held in the Assembly on Monday, prevailing with a resounding 130-0 margin. The vote took place amidst the backdrop of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), formerly allied with Nitish Kumar, walking out of the House led by Tejashwi Yadav. Nitish Kumar’s switch from the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) to the NDA bloc, comprising JD(U), RJD, and Congress, had precipitated this crucial test.

During the session, three RJD MLAs, namely Prahlad Yadav, Neelam Devi, and Chetan Anand, defected to the NDA bloc, further solidifying Nitish Kumar’s support base. In his address to the Assembly, Nitish Kumar criticized the RJD for attempting to appropriate credit for initiatives he had spearheaded. He also alleged that the previous Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi administrations had been inert in driving Bihar’s development over a span of 15 years.

Preceding the vote, the Assembly also deliberated and passed a no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary, receiving overwhelming support with 125 members voting for his removal.

In the lead-up to Monday’s test, the Congress took preemptive measures by relocating its MLAs to Hyderabad amid concerns of potential inducements, while RJD’s MLAs opted to congregate at Tejashwi Yadav’s residence. BJP leader Nityanand Rai asserted that all 78 BJP MLAs were lodged at a Patna hotel, while Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) arranged accommodations for 40 of its MLAs in another hotel in the state capital.

The trust vote unfolded smoothly for the Nitish government, buoyed by the defection of three RJD MLAs and the timely appearance of five previously absent JD(U) MLAs, resulting in a comfortable victory with 129 votes in favor. Notably, there were no opposing votes as the Opposition staged a walkout prior to the voting.

With the inclusion of the Deputy Speaker’s vote, the NDA’s tally reached 130 in the 243-member House, comfortably surpassing the simple majority threshold of 122. Prior to the vote, the NDA had asserted possession of 128 MLAs, while the Mahagathbandhan claimed support from 114 members.

Reacting to the defection of the three RJD MLAs to the BJP-led NDA, RJD legislator Alok Kumar Mehta characterized the development as warranting further investigation, implying potential complexities surrounding the move.

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