M A I N   N E W S

Boost for Rabri on trust vote eve

PATNA, March 15 (PTI, UNI) — In a morale booster to the Rabri Devi government ahead of the crucial confidence vote tomorrow, the Bihar Assembly today passed the vote on account amidst a walk out by the NDA-led Opposition.

As the House assembled after the lunch recess, following pandemonium in the morning, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ramchandra Purve tabled a vote on account for Rs 6814.77 crore for the next four months of the 2000-2001 fiscal year amid stiff protests by the opposition members.

Mr S.K. Modi of BJP, who was recognised as the Opposition leader earlier by the Speaker during the pre-lunch session, questioned the justification of presentation of the vote on account by the Rabri Devi government since it had not yet secured the confidence vote as directed by the Governor.

Mr Modi said the Chief Minister should have first sought the confidence of the House before pressing such an important legislative business.

On the eve of the trust vote, the RJD government was ahead in the number games having support of the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and CPM while the Opposition National Democratic Alliance was still in shock after the fall of the Nitish Kumar government.

The ruling RJD combine already has the support of 152 members, including 123 of the RJD, 22 of the Congress, five of the BSP and two of the CPM.

However, the six-member CPI-ML today said it would oppose the RJD-Congress-BSP combine in the Bihar Assembly but failed to clarify whether it would abstain or vote against the confidence seeking motion to be moved by the Rabri Devi government tomorrow.

“We prefer to oppose the government but at the same time we will not allow Bihar to come under President’s rule,” Party’s General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya told reporters here.

Meanwhile, the assembly was adjourned amid uproar by the Opposition members demanding discussions on the law and order problem in the state.

A senior BJP leader, Mr Sushil Kumar Modi, was today appointed Opposition leader in the Bihar Assembly. He was also Leader of the Opposition in the previous House.