THE RABRI Devi Govern-ment won the confidence vote by 166 to 4 amidst staging of dharna and slogan-shouting by NDA members in the well of the State Assembly over the procedure of voting. While the CPI voted against the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Rabri Devi, the CPI-ML abstained facilitating the victory of the RJD Government.
The ruling RJD received a shot in its arm when two Independent members, Aditya Singh from Hisua and Samresh Singh from Bokaro, crossed over to its side while the debate on the motion was going on. Aditya Singh supported the RJD, while Samresh Singh announced his joining the Congress in the House. Both of them had vouched support to NDA leader Nitish Kumar earlier.
The CPI stuck to its earlier stand of maintaining equidistance from both the RJD-Congress combine as well as the NDA. Four out of its five members voted against the Rabri Devi Government.
But the CPI-ML, which had contested the Assembly elections on an anti-NDA and anti-RJD plank, preferred to abstain from voting. This ensured a hindrance-free victory of the Rabri Devi Government.
The CPI-ML justified its abstention, arguing that it did not want imposition of President's rule in the state.
Speaker Sadanand Singh came in for sharp attack from the NDA members for allowing a division when the Opposition demanded a head count. They shouted slogans denigrating the Speaker for his alleged partisan stance.
The woman members of the Opposition climbed the reporter's table to vent their anger. Slogans like "Adhyaksha ki manmani nahin chalegi, Adhyaksh mahodaya sharm karo (We will not allow arbitrary stance of the chair; Speaker, shame, shame!)" rent the House.
While the ruling party members and its allies were in the 'ayes' lobby to cast their votes, a verbal duel ensued between the Speaker and leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi. The BJP leader argued that the Speaker should have allowed a head count after the Opposition did not agree on voice vote.
Later, Mr Sadanand Singh strongly defended his decision allowing the House to divide on the confidence motion, saying: I have maintained established Parliamentary norms.
Talking to reporters after he announced the result of the motion, he said since all the parties had issued whips he was left with no other option but to divide the House in accordance with the provisions under the anti-defection law.
Earlier, the RJD members accused the Governor of acting arbitrarily while inviting the minority NDA to form the government. Initiating the debate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Chandra Purve said despite the RJD approaching the Governor with a letter of support from the Congress and other MLAs, he preferred to invite Mr Nitish Kumar.