On notice, Bihar Speaker opens special session, then quits

Before announcing his resignation, Sinha said he had run the Assembly impartially for 20 months with the cooperation of both the treasury and opposition benches, making sure that the House arithmetic was not used to silence voices.

Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, despite a notice of no-confidence served against him by some legislators two weeks ago, presided over the House on Wednesday when it met for the special session called by the new government to seek trust vote, and then adjourned the House till 2 pm after resigning from his post, averting a possible ugly scene.

BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha leaves Bihar Asembly after resigning as Speaker on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

Sinha, however, nominated senior JD-U leader Narendra Narayan Yadav to preside over the remaining part of the session.

The government, though, stuck to Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari in the Chair in the second half, terming the Speaker’s action unconstitutional.

Hazari presided over the House when chief Minister Nitish Kumar moved the motion for trust vote in the second half for the debate.

When the session resumed in the second half, Yadav took the Chair, but cited the Constitutional provision that the in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker should preside. “The Deputy Speaker is present in the House and he will preside,” he said.

In a quick turn of events, the government also called a cabinet meeting at 12.30 pm to apprise the Governor about Sinha’s resignation and need for filling up the vacancy, besides extending the present session.

Before announcing his resignation, Sinha said he had run the Assembly impartially for 20 months with the cooperation of both the treasury and opposition benches, making sure that the House arithmetic was not used to silence voices. “I will hope the same continues and all the members get equal opportunity and the dignity of the legislature, and of the legislators, is upheld,” he said.

Sinha said he would have resigned the day a new government was formed, but he was not allowed the opportunity after the notice of his removal was served to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat. “The notice carried some baseless and unfortunate allegations against me, Therefore, I wanted to present my viewpoint through facts and present my report card before you all, as the House collectively made it possible,” Sinha said.

He said that during his short tenure, the House scripted many successes. “Three big centenary events were held in which President, Prime Minister and Speaker participated, while the House sessions ran smoothly with 100% answers to questions and equal status to both treasury and opposition benches. Above all, cooperation from both sides remained the high points until there was change of government due to change of equation. To usher in transparency, the proceedings were telecast live and honest efforts were made to protect the dignity of the legislature and the legislators. All this could not be termed undemocratic and dictatorial,” he said.

Sinha also alluded to a spat between CM Kumar and him in the House earlier this year. “The disrespect shown by the chief minister to the Chair is known to all. When I decided to organise discussion on the best legislators and the best legislature, JD-U legislators boycotted,” he said.

The Speaker said he has no criminal cases against him, but there are many in the House with taint. “Unfortunately, those tainted try to cast aspersions on others with clean image,” he said, without taking names.