M A I N   N E W S

Nitish wins confidence vote, dismisses ‘Modi wave’
BJP members walk out, Cong votes in favour of JD(U)

Patna, June 19
After dumping ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday comfortably won a vote of confidence in the Bihar Assembly amid signals of a new political alignment as the Congress backed the motion.

Nitish also dismissed the so-called wave in favour of Narendra Modi as one created by corporate houses.

A total of 126 votes, including four of the Congress and one of the CPI, were cast in favour of the confidence motion while 24, including 22 of Lalu Prasad-led RJD, voted against the motion as BJP members staged a walkout before the vote.

Those who voted in favour of the motion included ruling JD(U)'s 117 and four Independents. The RJD's 22 MLAs, two Independents also opposed the motion.

Significantly, the Congress support for the government comes two days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Kumar as secular and indicated that his party could do business with the JD(U). The Central Government had already enhanced development assistance to Bihar as a backward state recently, setting off speculation that the two parties could come together in future elections.

In his speech in the Assembly, Kumar without taking the name of Modi said the main reason for breaking the alliance with the BJP was the elevation of the Gujarat Chief Minister in his party. He said the slogan shouting by BJP MLAs hailing Modi went to buttress JD(U)'s point, an apparent reference to the possibility of the BJP making him the PM candidate.

Later, the Chief Minister in a chat with reporters thanked the Congress for voting in favour of the trust motion.

In his reply during the debate in the Assembly, Nitish said: "BJP workers are getting excited about wave created by one of their leaders (Narendra Modi)...it is nothing but wave created by corporate houses which will be short lived and cannot do any magic in 2014," Kumar said.

Nitish questioned the BJP’s attempt to portray Modi as a OBC leader to garner OBC and extremely backward castes votes. "Just by being born in an OBC family does not make anybody their leader," he said without naming the Gujarat leader. — PTI

Smooth sailing

• A total of 126 of the 243 legislators voted in favour of the confidence motion. This includes 118 JD(U) MLAs, four Independents, four Congress legislators and a CPI MLA
• 24 legislators, including 22 of the Lalu Prasad-led RJD, voted against the motion. 91 BJP and one LJP member staged a walkout before the vote
• The Congress support to the Nitish government comes two days after PM Manmohan Singh described the Bihar CM as a secular leader