Opposition MLA's gathered outside the Bihar Assembly and demanded the resignation of Speaker VK Sinha on Wednesday, ahead of the floor test in Bihar to prove the seven-party ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' government's majority, and the subsequent CBI raids against various opposition figures.
"Conspiracy to scare us through raids won't work. It's a conspiracy to topple our government. Our proposal for No-Confidence Motion against Speaker should be considered and discussed," the MLAs told news agency ANI.
Rabri Devi, former Bihar CM and RJD leader, said that the BJP was "scared" of the fact that all opposition parties had united under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.
"They're scared. A new Govt has been formed under leadership of Nitish Kumar. All parties, except BJP, with us. We've the majority. CBI (raid) just to scare us. We won't be scared. This isn't happening for the first time," she told ANI.
The homes of two senior leaders of the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) were raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today in connection with the "land-for-jobs" case that alleges irregularities during his father Lalu Yadav's tenure as Railway minister in the UPA-I government.
The raids were carried out on a day when the Nitish Kumar-led government backed by RJD takes a test of majority in the Assembly, two weeks after the Janata Dal (United) parted ways with the BJP and joined hands with RJD.
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.
(with inputs from agencies)
