Bihar trust vote: Deputy CM warns horse trading will invite stern action

Bihars Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has issued a stern warning to the opposition Mahagathbandhan ahead of the trust vote stating that any attempts at horse trading will be met with serious consequencesChoudhary who also leads the BJPs state unit expressed confidence in the newly formed NDA governments ability to win the trust vote scheduled for next week newswire PTI reportedSpeaking to PTI after meetings with top leaders in Delhi including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah Choudhary emphasized the strong relationship between the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JDU stating that their synergy will ensure victory in the trust voteThe trust vote scheduled for February 12 comes after the formation of the government on January 28 The Mahagathbandhan which includes the RJD and other parties has expressed discontent over the sudden loss of power and speculated potential upsets during the voteMahagathbandhan leaders who are sore over the sudden loss of power caused by the JDU supremos volteface have been claiming that the day might see some upset with RJD leader Awadh Bihari Chaudhary still occupying the Speakers chairHowever the Deputy CM said ldquoIt is only a matter of time before the Speaker against whom all NDA MLAs have moved a noconfidence motion is replaced Either he will resign or face the ignominy of being voted out in the House where a majority of members do not have faith in himrdquoThe NDA which also enjoys the support of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhis fourMLAstrong HAM and an Independent has a combined strength of 128 in the assembly which has 243 membersThe Mahagathbandhan which includes Congress and three Left parties besides RJD has 114 members eight short of majority Besides Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM has one MLA and though the party has not revealed its cards it has been accusing the RJD of having poached four of its MLAs a couple of years agoChoudhary however made it clear that the government would take stern action if attempts were made to destabilise the government through horse tradingRJD supremo Lalu Prasad should know I am well aware of his partys own vulnerability to a split though the BJP does not believe in such tactics said Choudhary who started his political career in the RJD and had led its rebel faction in 2014 before quitting the partyHe also made light of Manjhis antics regarding dissatisfaction with getting only one cabinet berth and the HAM founders son Santosh Suman getting SC and ST Welfare portfolio instead of a meatier assignmentManjhi knows it well that it is an alliance with the BJP that is electorally viable for HAM He will gain nothing by aligning with the RJD The opposition camp is hoping against hope as it is not sure if it will be able to keep its flock together A reason why it is transporting its people out of the state Choudhary saidHe was referring to the shifting of Congress MLAs to Hyderabad ahead of the trust voteThe BJP leader however made it clear that in the upcoming biennial polls to Rajya Sabha the party will claim a lions share in view of its increased strength in the assemblyThe NDA will field three candidates out of whom two will be from BJP and one from JDU said ChoudharySix seats are falling vacant in Bihar out of which two each were held by JDU and RJD The BJP which was a junior partner in NDA until the 2020 assembly polls and the Congress held one seat eachChoudhary was also asked about rumours that the chief minister has been wanting simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and Bihar assembly the term of which is going to expire after more than a yearIf the CM comes up with a proposal for early polls the BJP will welcome it We are a party that is always battleready But it is going to be his call said the deputy CM With inputs from PTI