Nitish faces trust vote in Bihar Assembly today

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will today seek a vote of confidence in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, to prove his majority to form the state government.

Nitish will move the confidence motion in the special session at 11 a.m.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) have issued whip to their legislators to vote in favour of the trust vote. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress have also issued a similar whip to their legislators.

Nitish led JD (U)-NDA government has a support of 132 MLAs, which will help it to prove a comfortable majority in the 243 member state assembly where 122 MLAs are required to prove majority.

According to the communique issued from the Raj Bhawan, Nitish has claimed the support of 131 members, including the BJP, two independents and legislators of BJP allies Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)-Secular and Rashtriya Lok Samata party (RLSP).

Opposition RJD has 80 MLAs, the Congress 27 and the CPI-ML 3.

Security arrangements have been made in and around the assembly building ahead of the floor test.

Yesterday, Nitish and BJP leader Sushil Modi were sworn-in as Bihar Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively, and former has been asked to prove his majority on the floor by Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.

Nitish, on July 26 resigned as Bihar Chief Minister citing political differences with former ally, Lalu Prasad Yadav led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), over corruption charges against the RJD supremo's son Tejashwi Yadav.

He, however, on Thursday, took oath as Bihar chief minister for the sixth time, marking a historic transition of the state from a Grand Alliance government to an NDA regime.

-ANI