Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's 'Mahagathbandhan' Wins Trust Vote Amid BJP Walkout

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who, following days of simmering tensions, finally ended his party Janata Dal (United)'s alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and formed a government with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other parties earlier this month, has proved his majority in the state Assembly today with the 'Mahagathbandhan' winning the motion of confidence by voice vote amid a walkout by BJP. The latter, which was previously part of the ruling coalition in Bihar, has now been stripped of power and politically isolated in the state, even as it tries to hold its own against the mighty seven-party ruling 'Mahagathbandhan'.

After parting ways with BJP, Nitish Kumar has now entered into a Grand Alliance with the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD)-led bloc which also comprises of Congress and Left parties. All of these parties had openly extended support to Nitish long before he made it public that he is splitting with the BJP.

The tension regarding Nitish Kumar's test of majority in the state Assembly has been diluted to a mere formality in the 243-member Bihar Assembly with the firm support of 164 MLAs.

The Bihar Grand Alliance has a combined strength of 163. Its effective strength climbed to 164 after Sumit Kumar Singh extended his support to Nitish Kumar.

The state government is understood to have agreed upon the name of veteran RJD leader Awadh Bihari Chaudhary as the new Speaker

Bihar Assembly braces for a stormy session

The special session is set to commence on a stormy note on account of Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha's stout refusal to resign despite the new ruling dispensation's motion of no-confidence against him.

If the assembly is not adjourned following the vote over the motion against the speaker, the new government headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will also face the trust vote during the day.

Sinha, a senior BJP leader, evidently enjoys the backing of his party which has vowed to take on "Paltu Kumar", a pejorative it has coined for the chief minister and his many volte faces, and the new government which has been formed through "back door", a charge the party has, ironically, been facing since 2017.

"We have not taken a decision on leader of the opposition in the assembly. That does not top the agenda. We are looking forward to exposing Paltu Kumar and this new government, formed through back door, which has brought a no confidence motion," said Nitin Nabin, a BJP leader who lost his ministerial berth to the cataclysmic political developments in the state.

CBI raided homes of two RJD leaders, Sunil Singh and Ashfaque Karim right ahead of the floor test in Assembly.

How does the new cabinet look like?

CM Nitish Kumar retained the all-important Home Department. It gives him direct control over the state police. 

Besides Home, Nitish also has general administration department, cabinet secretariat, election department and "any other departments not assigned to others", according to an official communication.

Deputy CM Tejashwi has got key portfolios like health, road construction, urban housing and development and rural works. Yadav’s elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav has been given environment, forestry and climate change. 

Besides Nitish and Tejashwi, only Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Yadav have got more than one portfolios. Chaudhary has departments of finance, commercial tax and parliamentary affairs and Yadav has departments of power and planning and development.

Mr Kumar took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the eighth time on August 10, a day after breaking away from the BJP. His deputy Tejashwi Yadav was also sworn in the same day.

From Congress, Afaque Alam and Murari Lal Gautam, were also inducted into the cabinet, while Santosh Suman was sworn in from Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha. The lone Independent MLA, Sumit Kumar Singh, also took oath as a cabinet minister

(With agency inputs)