Bihar Floor Test: MLAs Gear Up for Crucial Strength Game as Numbers Stack Up

Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav

The spotlight is on the Bihar floor test scheduled for Monday (February 12), where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar must demonstrate his majority following his switch to the NDA, leaving the Mahagathbandhan alliance composed of the RJD, Congress, and Left parties in Bihar. Ahead of this pivotal test, the Congress has relocated their MLAs to Hyderabad, while RJD MLAs have been residing at former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav’s residence since Saturday night. The BJP has moved its MLAs to the Maha Bodhi resort in Bodh Gaya in anticipation of the floor test, following Nitish Kumar’s meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi. Although the BJP claims the MLAs are undergoing training and denies any threat of poaching from the opposition.

The total strength of the Bihar Assembly: 243, with a majority mark set at 122. The NDA holds a comfortable majority with 128 seats: BJP with 78, JD(U) with 45, Hindustani Awam Morcha with 4, and Independent MLA Sumit Singh.

The Opposition possesses 114 seats: RJD leading with 79, Congress with 19, CPI(ML) with 12, CPI(M) with 2, and CPI with 2. AIMIM holds one seat, while another belongs to others.

Preparations for the Bihar floor test are underway. Congress MLAs are set to arrive in Patna by Sunday evening and will proceed directly to Tejashwi’s residence. They will then head to the Assembly alongside their RJD counterparts from Tejashwi’s 5 Deshratna Marg government bungalow. RJD MLAs have been staying at Tejashwi’s residence since Saturday afternoon, as evidenced by social media posts showing them enjoying bonfires and music.

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JD(U) has issued a three-line whip instructing all MLAs to be present during the floor test. However, JD(U) MLAs were not relocated before the test.

Following the collapse of the Mahagathbandhan government due to Nitish Kumar’s about-face, Tejashwi hinted at a potential last-minute move by the RJD. However, JD(U) dismissed any such possibility, asserting the NDA’s confidence in winning the floor test.

Kavya Bhatt