Bihar CM Nitish Kumar wins floor test with 129 MLAs in favour of coalition with BJP

The Budget session of the Bihar Assembly began Monday with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar moving a motion of confidence and winning it for his coalition government with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

This motion followed Nitish Kumar's resignation from the Chief Minister position and his departure from the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan alliance.

Amid the political upheaval, Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar emphasised that upholding the rule of law is the foremost priority of the Nitish Kumar-led government.

He stated, "Rule of law prevails in the state... that is the top priority of the government. To improve law and order, the strength of the police force has been increased."

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The necessity for the trust vote arose after Nitish Kumar, now serving as Chief Minister for the ninth time, formed a new government in alliance with the BJP-led NDA coalition.

Media reports suggest that Nitish Kumar was disappointed after not being appointed as the convenor of the Opposition bloc, INDIA, which emerged through his efforts.

This disappointment led to his resignation as chief minister on January 28th.

The composition of the Bihar Assembly reflects the political landscape, with the JD(U) holding 45 seats, BJP with 79 seats, and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) with four legislators, amounting to a combined strength of 128 MLAs in the NDA coalition.

The majority mark in the 243-member assembly is 122. As discussions unfold, Nitish Kumar and the BJP express confidence in securing their positions through the trust vote.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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