No-confidence motion against speaker delayed Bihar assembly session

A JD (U) leader said normally one would have expected the speaker to resign as soon as the government changed

In the first Cabinet meeting after taking oath on Wednesday, chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav, decided to convene the Bihar assembly session on August 24 to seek trust vote. The session was delayed as speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha refused to quit and promoted ruling alliance to move a no-confidence motion.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha. (PTI)

As per norms, 50 lawmakers signed the motion and submitted it to the assembly secretary. Former speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the motion could be taken up only after 14 days from the date it was served on. He said it will be taken first on the day the House convenes.

“The speaker himself cannot preside over the House when the no-confidence motion is taken up. In his absence, deputy speaker [Maheshwar Hazari] will preside,” he said.

Hazari belongs to Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) or JD (U), which has the numbers required to remove Sinha along with its allies.

A JD (U) leader said everything has been sorted out in advance. “Normally, one would have expected the speaker to resign as soon as the government changed. But it is his decision.”

Sinha refused to comment. “The chief minister has sent a letter. He has told us to convene the assembly session. The secretary has all details. Once we get the file, we will know more. As long as I hold this post, I would not make a statement outside [the House].”