As the ruling and the Opposition camps in Bihar counted anxious minutes and watched over their flock ahead of the all-important floor test in the Assembly on Monday, expelled BSP leader and Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali on Sunday claimed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may switch sides again if it was politically convenient.
Nitish took the oath of office for a record ninth time after his stunning ‘Ghar Wapsi’ to the BJP-led NDA.
“The people of Bihar are embarrassed over the state of affairs. They are very saddened by the way Nitish Kumar made fun of them and their mandate. The pressure on his MLAs is clearly visible. It wouldn’t surprise me if Nitish Kumar makes another of his political switchovers in the foreseeable future and return to the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance),” the BSP MP told ANI on Sunday.
Days after Nitish Kumar’s exit from the Mahagathbandhan and return to the NDA fold, his government in Bihar is set to face its firt big test during the trust vote on Monday.
The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan.
To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes.
Earlier this month, Nitish, who had reportedly gone into a sulk after not being named the convenor of INDIA, the Opposition bloc that took shape through his efforts, dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and the national coalition to form a new government with the support of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Putting to rest frenzied speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Nitish resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months.
Snapping ties with the RJD and Congress, the JD(U) Supremo formed the government with the support of the BJP and its partners in the NDA.