Bihar trust vote LIVE updates
During his 30-minute speech before the voice vote began, Kumar launched a scathing attack against the BJP and its way of doing politics. He also made indirect references to rebellion by LJP’s Chirag Paswan, allegedly at BJP’s behest, and attempts to cause a split in JD(U) through his former protege RCP Singh.
Kumar asserted that he had “no personal ambitions”, rejecting the BJP’s charge that his latest volte face was aimed at becoming the prime ministerial candidate of the opposition camp.
Here are the top five quotes from his speech:
- 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 election, said the CM. - Leaders like Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and L KAdvani treated me with respect. I snapped ties with the BJP in 2013 in protest against Advani and other senior leaders being sidelined, said Kumar. - Vajpayee’s government approved many development plans for Bihar that the Modi-led Centre is taking credit for today. In 2017, when I demanded central status for
Patna University , no one paid attention to it. Now you (Central govt) will do the same to advertise your work. They have control over social media and press. Everyone is discussing only Centre’s work. All that is happening out of Delhi today is publicity, said the JD(U) chief. - Their (BJP) only task is to create disturbances in society. In Bihar, all parties have come together to move unitedly to defeat the BJP’s agenda in the state, said the CM.
- You [BJP] were saying things about the 75th year of Independence. Where were you in the freedom struggle? In the end, they will finish even Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi). We have come together. We will put forward everything in front of every village and every section of society. Their only work is to create trouble in society. When everybody will come together, nobody will ask about them,” he said.
With the opposition benches empty, Kumar comfortably won the voice vote.
Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari, however, ordered a headcount upon a request by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the parliamentary affairs minister, who said that though a voice vote had clearly showed support of the majority, the count would “leave no room for any confusion”.
Kumar then won the confidence motion by 160 votes in the 243-member Bihar assembly. The test of majority was mostly a formality.
Some of the BJP MLAs, who had staged a walkout while Kumar was delivering his speech, stormed the House demanding that the deputy speaker not waste time on a redundant headcount but take up businesses scheduled for the day and announced boycott of the proceedings.
Proceedings were, subsequently, adjourned till Friday by the deputy speaker who also informed the House that on Thursday nomination papers will be filed for election of a new speaker, the post having fallen vacant upon resignation of BJP’s Vijay Kumar Sinha.
(With inputs from agencies)