'His Motive Was Suspicious': Mahagathbandhan Brings No-Trust Motion Against Bihar Assembly Speaker

A notice signed by many Grand Alliance MPs was delivered to the Assembly secretariat.

Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha.

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A senior JD(U) representative revealed that Bihar's new ruling coalition, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), filed a no-confidence motion against Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, a BJP MLA, on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported.

A notice signed by many Grand Alliance MPs was delivered to the Assembly secretariat.

The decision was reached just hours after Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Grand Alliance's new chief minister.

“The motion against Sinha will be taken up by the House when it meets to enable Nitish Kumar to move a trust vote,” senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary was quoted by PTI in its report.

The Assembly is likely to summon a special session on August 24 or 25.

"According to the rule, a Speaker can be removed from office by a resolution of the Assembly passed by a majority,” said Choudhary.

The Mahagathbandhan has 164 Assembly members in total, whereas the BJP has 77.

“The Speaker’s motive was suspicious. He refused to go by convention to resign from the post (after the change in government),” another JD(U) leader said.

Sinha also convened a meeting of the Ethics Committee, chaired by a BJP leader, on Tuesday and received a new report on the uproar in the Assembly when the Special Armed Police Act was passed in March last year, claiming that the report could lead to the disqualification of several members of the current ruling coalition.

The police were called in to eject opposition members who caused a commotion in the Assembly by protesting the measure that seeks to strengthen the police force.

“Why did the Speaker seek a fresh report when the committee had already submitted its final report in February this year,” the JD (U) leader said.

However, he stated that action against erring members may only be taken if the committee's report is approved by the Assembly, and the Speaker cannot suggest action unless the report is tabled in the House.

(With Inputs From PTI)