Bihar: Nitish Govt Prepares For Floor Test As JD(U), BJP Hold Huddles. Cong MLAs To Camp At Tejashwi's Home

The Congress, with only 19 MLAs, harboured concerns of potential defections ahead of the Bihar trust vote, prompting its decision to relocate its legislators to Telangana.

Bomb Squad teams inspect the campus of Bihar Legislative Assembly on the eve of the budget session, in Patna.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: With less than a day remaining before the crucial trust vote in Bihar, Congress legislators, who had been stationed in Telangana for a week, returned to Patna on Sunday, news agency PTI reported citing party sources.

The legislators arrived at Patna airport late in the evening and were set to stay at the residence of former Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Under tight security, legislators departed from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad after being escorted from a resort.

VIDEO | Visuals of Bihar Congress MLAs arriving at Hyderabad's Shamshabad airport.

Congress legislators from Bihar have been staying at Hyderabad resort amid fears of poaching by the BJP-led NDA ahead of the floor test in Assembly. pic.twitter.com/aDpDfAaGLK

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 11, 2024

During their stay until Monday, the Congress legislators will lodge alongside their counterparts from RJD and the Left at 5, Deshratna Marg — the government bungalow allotted to Tejashwi Yadav during his tenure as Deputy chief minister.

The 'Mahagathbandhan', comprising the Congress, RJD, and Left alliance, recently lost power due to JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's sudden rejoining of the BJP-led NDA, less than a month back.

Although the NDA holds a comfortable majority with a combined strength of 128 MLAs in the 243-member state assembly, the Congress, with only 19 MLAs, harboured concerns of potential defections ahead of the trust vote, prompting its decision to relocate its legislators to the southern state.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: JDU MLA, Zama Khan says, "All MLAs have come..."

Floor Test of the NDA government led by CM Nitish Kumar will be held in the Assembly tomorrow, February 12. pic.twitter.com/hFlp6xKPKQ

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2024

Meanwhile, RJD legislators, who had initially gathered at Tejashwi Yadav's residence on Saturday for a luncheon but were asked to remain until the trust vote, appeared to be immersed in a festive atmosphere.

The party shared a video showing them gathered around a bonfire, with the former deputy chief minister, dressed in a tracksuit, applauding a young MLA as they sang and played guitar.

#WATCH | Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha and BJP MLAs leave from Mahabodhi resort in Gaya.

Floor Test of the NDA government led by CM Nitish Kumar will be held in the Assembly tomorrow, February 12. pic.twitter.com/dbhpwYOtzW

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2024

In the meantime, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU national president Nitish Kumar convened a meeting with party MLAs at the residence of party leader and state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary in preparation for the upcoming floor test.

#WATCH | Patna: Bihar CM and JDU national president Nitish Kumar arrives at the residence of party leader and state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary for the meeting of party MLAs here ahead of the Floor test tomorrow, February 12. pic.twitter.com/VzJjy7SjSw

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2024