Bihar floor test today: Supported by 165 MLAs, Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan to prove majority

The Nitish Kumae-led Mahagathbandhan government will face a floor test to prove its majority in the Assembly on the opening day of the two-day special session on Wednesday.  

The number of MLAs supporting the government rose to 165 in the 243-member Assembly after single-member AIMIM on Tuesday decided to extend its support to the grand alliance government. The effective strength of the House is 241 since two seats are vacant. 

Earlier, a total of 163 MLAs of seven parties and one Independent legislator (Sumit Kumar Singh) extended their support to Nitish when he staked claim to form the new government on August 9, a day after he dumped the BJP to rejoin hands with the RJD-led grand alliance. 

The eight political parties supporting the new government are RJD (79), JD-U (45), Congress (19), CPI-ML (12), HAMS (04), CPI (02), CPM (02) and AIMIM (01). Other than these, Independent MLA and minister Sumit Kumar Singh has also extended support to Nitish Kumar. 

With 165 MLAs supporting the grand alliance government, way more than the required halfway mark of 121, the floor test has been reduced to a mere formality. 

With all other regional parties supporting the Mahagathbandhan government, the BJP, with its 76 MLAs, will be the single party on the opposition benches on Wednesday. 

As per the list of business in the Assembly on Wednesday, the chief minister’s proposal to seek the trust vote would be taken up in the House after the Speaker’s opening address and tabling of the reports of different house committees. 

However, the ruling grand alliance has demanded that the no-confidence motion against the Speaker be taken up at the first place and  Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha not be allowed to preside over the House proceedings. 

Striking a defiant note, Sinha on Tuesday declared that he will not step down in the wake of a no-confidence motion moved by MLAs of the ruling Mahagathbandhan. 

“I view the no-confidence motion as springing from a lack of trust, not in me, but the Chair itself. The notice of the motion received at the Vidhan Sabha secretariat has done away with rules, regulations and parliamentary niceties,” he read from a written statement before a posse of journalists.

“Bound by the Chair, I feel it is incumbent upon me to reject such a notice. Some baseless and personal allegations have been made in the notice against me. My style of functioning has been called undemocratic and dictatorial,” he said.