In Bihar, Grand Alliance shows strength; Speaker quits

A two-week-old alliance in Bihar between the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United) that resurrected the old Mahagathbandhan, or Grand Alliance, triumphed in the assembly floor test on Wednesday, completing a dramatic political reversal in the heartland state.

A two-week-old alliance in Bihar between the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United) that resurrected the old Mahagathbandhan, or Grand Alliance, triumphed in the assembly floor test on Wednesday, completing a dramatic political reversal in the heartland state.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and state Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader Rabri Devi and the candidate for Bihar Vidhan Parisad Chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur after filing the nomination papers.

The new government comprising the RJD, the JD(U), and the Congress, received 160 of the assembly’s 243 votes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of the proceedings.

The new government was sworn in on August 10, a day after chief minister Nitish Kumar dumped the BJP and joined hands with his friend-turned-foe-turned-friend, the RJD, and submitted his resignation on August 9.

“Leaders from the across the country are calling up to tell me that I have taken the right decision. The 2024 results will show,” Kumar said in the assembly on Wednesday.

The scheduled floor test was preceded by the dramatic resignation of speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, a BJP lawmaker who had refused to resign till Tuesday, citing infirmities in the notice for his removal. Even in his resignation, he caused a flutter by nominating senior JD(U) leader Narendra Narayan Yadav to preside over the remaining part of the session, not deputy speaker Maheshwar Hazari. The government, however, disregarded his decision and Hazari presided over the trust vote. The election for the new speaker is scheduled for August 26.

In a nearly 30-minute long speech, a combative Kumar said the BJP had gained in the state due to its association with the JD(U), but was trying to harm it. “Today, all kinds of things are being propagated about Gaya (where Kumar visited the revered Vishnupad Temple with his minister Israil Mansuri, stoking a controversy), but it is the same place where even the minorities voted for the BJP in 2010 due to his efforts,” he said.

“In 2020, I was not ready to accept the CM’s chair, but under pressure I had to accept it and after that a situation was created that all my party leaders started insisting that I should sever ties. An attempt was made to destroy the JD(U),” he added.

Kumar was referring to the JD(U), in the 2020 assembly elections, slumping to its lowest tally in 17 years with 43 seats and becoming the junior partner to the BJP for the first time. In the Grand Alliance, the RJD has 79 seats, the Congress 19, three left parties got 16 and HAM four.

Kumar said that he had nothing against the BJP leaders in Bihar, but the way all senior figures such as Sushil Kumar Modi, Prem Kumar and Nannd Kishore Yadav were side lined, it became apparent what the BJP was up to.

“Still, I did not say anything and treated it as their internal matter. But the way things shaped it became increasingly difficult. I have worked with former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee also and at that time leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi listened to me and accepted our pleas. I asked for Bihar College of Engineering into NIT and it was done, but when I requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conversion of Patna University into a central university, it was rejected,” he said, indicating the BJP of the past was quite different from the BJP of today.

As Kumar started speaking, training his guns on the Centre and sparing the state leaders, BJP legislators were up in arms and kept interjecting. “I can understand unless you people attack me with unsubstantiated allegations, you will not get noticed. Do it and get noticed. I have done a lot for you all and I will be happy if you get noticed. But the facts cannot change. Bihar’s development has not been at the mercy of Centre’s largesse,” he went on.

Later, when the deputy speaker announced voting despite BJP boycott, BJP’s Tarkeshwar Prasad objected to it, saying it was not the way to run the House, leading to division. Parliamentary affairs minister said that the voting should be done to send the message across that the support the alliance has claimed while taking claim was there and the deputy speaker also backed it, saying nothing would happen if it was allowed.

Kumar said that he would work with the Opposition across the country to put up a united show for 2024 elections. “ Merely on false narrative and publicity, the country cannot progress. We have celebrated 75th year of Independence and so much was announced, but what have the country achieved,” he added.

The CM said the central government was only into publicity and taking credit for others’ work. “I started seven resolves and continued with it despite a change of government over the years. Bihar started the scheme for tap water to every home, but the Centre started it later. I was asked to accept the Centre’s scheme, but I said no, as it is a state scheme. The BJP leaders of the state know the progress the state has made in different fields, but they can only get noticed when they attack me. I wish them good luck,” he added.

BJP leader Tarkishore Prasad accused Kumar of sacrificing the state’s progress at the altar of his personal ambition. “In 2013 also, the ambition of becoming of PM had made him walk away and again in 2022 he has done the same. But the reality is that a party or a leader, who could never form a government on his own even in the state, how could he have unrealistic ambition of becoming the PM,” he said.

Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said that the BJP was afraid due to the united opposition in Bihar, as it feared that the party could be wiped out in the 2024 general elections.

“This alliance is here to stay for long. It will be a never-ending innings to take Bihar forward and make a big splash. It is time for the BJP to do introspection, as why it has been left without any alliance partner due to its arrogance. What Nitish Kumar has done after coming with the Grand Alliance is to raise hope for the Opposition in the country,”’he said.

Referring to the CBI raids on RJD leaders since morning, Tejashwi said such things would not be able to crown them down, as they have the legacy of true socialism as the legacy, they could proudly draw strength from. “I was surprised when a mall in Gurugram, Sector 71 was propagated as being mine, while I am not even aware of it. What Ihave gathered is that it is a mall, which was inaugurated by some BJP leader. We know how far they can go. They thrive on building a false narrative against anyone who stands against them. The only formula of the BJP is to frighten those who can get frightened and buy those who are up for sale. Unfortunately, in a poor state like Bihar they could not put a price tag on anyone, as they managed in Maharashtra and other states,” he added.

Shortly after Sinha quit, the government called a cabinet meeting at 12.30 pm to apprise governor Phagu Chauhan about the vacancy. Kumar also visited the chamber of the Speaker to present a bouquet to Hazari.

Before resigning, 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 the legislators is upheld,” he added.

Social analyst and president of the Bihar Economic Association Nawal Kishore Choudhary said that the real challenge for the state government would start now when it would need to walk the talk. “The kind of challenges Bihar faces and the promises Tejashwi made will need a deft handling, including cooperation of the Centre. However, a hostile BJP will mean difficulties for the government in arranging finances. The 2024 election is still some distance away and whether the Opposition will see in Nitish Kumar a potential challenger to Narendra Modi also remains to be seen. But the speech of the CM definitely showed that he seems to have made up his mind to try his hand at the national politics. Bihar will continue to throw posers, and these are interesting times for the state,” he added.