Bihar floor test: NDA government wins trust vote amid walkout

The newly formed NDA government in Bihar won the trust vote in the state Assembly on Monday, amidst a walkout by members of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance).

In the 243-strong assembly, a total of 129 members voted in favour of the motion of confidence. Deputy speaker Maheshwar Hazari was in the chair when the voting took place.

Hazari ordered a headcount after having declared the motion as passed through voice vote, following a request from parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, which was seconded by chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Kumar had recently dumped the Mahagathbandhan, of which the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was a key constituent, and returned to the NDA fold to form the government with the support of the BJP.

Earlier, taking part in the debate on the motion, the Janata Dal (United) chief alleged that the RJD indulged in corrupt practices during the party's rule in the state, and the new NDA-led government would initiate a probe into them.

Kumar also claimed that during the RJD's tenure, several communal riots took place in Bihar. "There was no law and order. The RJD indulged in corrupt practices during its rule (before 2005)... I will get these investigated," he said.

Speaking in the Assembly, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said he always considered Kumar to be a "father figure", and wondered what forced him to ditch the Mahagathbandhan and return to the BJP-led NDA.

"I always considered Nitish Kumar as Dashrath (Lord Ram's father from the epic Ramayana). I don't know what reasons forced him to ditch the Mahagathbandhan," the former deputy CM said.