This comes days after three RJD MLAs quit the party during the no-confidence motion (File)
Patna:
New trouble arose for Bihar’s opposition ‘grand alliance’ when three MLAs of the Congress-RJD alliance sat with members of the ruling alliance inside the state assembly on Tuesday.
Drama unfolded in the post-lunch session when RJD’s Sangeeta Kumari, besides Murari Gautam and Siddharth Sourav (both Congress) were seen entering the Assembly behind Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who is also the state BJP president.
When prompted to do so by Mr Choudhary, he sat down on the ruling side and the ruling NDA MLAs thumped their tables in approval.
The episode comes nearly a fortnight after three RJD MLAs quit the party, the day senior party leader and former Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary was defeated in the no-confidence motion, and the new party led by JD(U) president Nitish Kumar. Government was formed. With BJP as ally, won the trust vote.
The RJD has sought disqualification of Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi and Prahlad Yadav, none of whom have yet formally resigned from the party.
The latest developments are the first sign of rebellion within the Congress, which had sent all but one of its 19 MLAs to Hyderabad ahead of the trust vote fearing a split.
Siddharth Sourav, who is said to be unhappy with the state leadership of the Congress, had refused to leave Bihar citing prior commitments in his Bikram constituency.
Murari Gautam had lost his cabinet berth last month as a result of Nitish Kumar’s sudden exit from the ‘grand alliance’ and return to the NDA.
Reacting to the development, Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan told reporters, “The names of those who have switched sides will be recorded in the annals of history as traitors.”
Asked what could have been the reason behind the crossover, Mr Khan said, “Nobody can read the mind of a traitor. Maybe some inducements were given. But, they should ask themselves whether The price they have paid for their loyalty will keep them for a long time.” life”.
However, Siddharth Sourav hit back, saying, “I have done nothing wrong. I wonder why allegations are being made against me.”
He said he has always had a “personal equation” with the chief minister and has “huge respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.
JD(U) MLC and chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said the opposition MLAs “must have realized that they will have to be accountable for the financial frauds committed during the 17-month period when the ‘grand alliance’ was in power”.
Taking a veiled dig at opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav, Samrat Chaudhary said, “There is a child there who is eager to play. We have given him a toy.”
The allusion was to the “game is still on” comment by Mr Yadav, who had predicted a rebellion in the ranks of the BJP and JD(U) after he lost the post of Deputy CM as a result of Mr Kumar’s counterattack.
The NDA, which formally includes JD(U), BJP, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and an independent, now has the support of a total of 134 MLAs in the 243-strong assembly.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
