No confidence against Speaker to be held before trust vote of Nitish govt

The Bihar Assembly on Friday made it clear that Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary will have to face the no-confidence motion moved by the ruling NDA before the newly formed government seeks a trust vote on February 12.

The assembly secretariat released the business agenda of the House for Monday, when the budget session will commence, with a customary address by the Governor to members of the bicameral legislature.

As per the agenda, released unusually before time, the Governor's speech will be preceded by a preliminary address, to the assembly, by the Speaker.

Immediately after Governor's address, the assembly will take up the proposal for removal of the Speaker, which will be followed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeking a trust vote for the government.

Chaudhary belongs to the RJD, which lost power as a result of Kumar's abrupt exit from Mahagathbandhan and return to the BJP-led NDA.

Soon after the installation of the NDA government two weeks ago, a no-confidence motion had been moved against Chaudhary by the ruling coalition.

Chaudhary has refused to step down as Speaker, causing jitters in the NDA camp, which enjoys a slender majority and is wary of a trust vote taking place with an opposition party leader in the chair.

The NDA, which includes an Independent and four MLAs of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha, has a total strength of 128 in the 243-member assembly.

The Mahagathbandhan, which comprises RJD, Congress and three Left parties, has 114 MLAs and falls eight members short of majority. Hyderabad MP

Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has one MLA who has kept his cards close to the chest.

However, JD(U) leader and Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari made it clear that as per rules, the Speaker will have to give up the chair as soon as a no-confidence motion is taken up inside the House.

Hazari said the proceedings will, thereafter, be conducted by the Deputy Speaker until the House elects a new Speaker.

The BJP, which has 78 MLAs as against 45 of the chief minister's JD(U), is likely to have one of its leaders as the Speaker.

Kumar, who has ruled Bihar since 2005 except for an eight-month hiatus, had kept the Speaker's post with his party until 2020 when the JD(U)'s tally crashed in the assembly polls.

BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha, who was the Speaker from 2020, till Kumar's sudden exit from NDA two years later, is now a Deputy CM.

Senior BJP leaders Tarkishor Prasad, who was a Deputy CM till 2022, and former state unit chief Nand Kishor Yadav are said to be in the race for the new Speaker's post.