After parting ways with 17-year-old ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday won the vote of confidence on the floor of the State Assembly. Kumar comfortably proved his majority with the support of 126 MLAs in the House of 243 members.
The Bihar CM got the support of 117 members of his party Janata Dal (United), four members of Congress, four independents and one MLA of the Communist Party of India (CPI). The 91 legislators of BJP, the main opposition party, and the lone legislator of Lok Janshakti Party staged a walkout, while 22 members of the RJD and two independent legislators voted against the motion.
Accusing Nitish of betrayal of the mandate for the NDA in the 2010 Assembly elections, leader of opposition and senior BJP leader, Nand Kishore Yadav said, “Nitish Kumar has secured majority by means of unethical means learnt from new partner, the Congress.”
Former cabinet colleague and now Leader of Opposition, Yadav, rejected the argument that the BJP created a situation in which the JD(U) was left with no option but to sever the ties. “You became ambitious when we got 206 seats in the 243-member Assembly (JD(U) got 115 and BJP 91 seats) and planned to repeat Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s move of dumping the BJP,” Yadav alleged.
Pointing to the Chief Minister he said, “You wanted to rule alone in the State and was looking for opportunities to kick out the BJP.”
Launching a scathing counter-attack on the BJP, Nitish said, “Bharatiya Janata Party is now trying to impose divisive politics and the era of consultation and respect for ally is over. India is a country of diverse culture and everybody should be taken care of. Coalition is a reality and no single party should be under the false premise that they alone can govern the country.”
While replying to the debate on the motion of confidence, Nitish fired a salvo at Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, but without naming him. “BJP workers are excited on a wave created by corporates for this leader. This wave will not do wonders in 2014 elections,” he said.