Bihar: All-party meet unable to decide on JD(U)'s demand for Opposition status

Patna: Unable to decide whether JD(U) or BJP would sit in the opposition gallery during Bihar confidence vote on 20 February, an all-party meet on Wednesday left the decision on Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary amid walkout by BJP. [caption id=“attachment_2106275” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Jitan Ram Manjhi (left) and Nitish Kumar. PTI[/caption] JD(U) Legislature party leader in the Assembly Vijay Chaudhary made a fervent appeal to the Speaker to accord his party the status of opposition party and recognise him as the Leader of Opposition during the confidence vote. Chaudhary told reporters that since his party has decided to vote against the confidence motion by Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi who has been expelled from the party and declared an unattached member, it should be allowed to sit in the opposition gallery. Former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also backed Chaudhary’s plea. “We have claimed the opposition seat on the basis of our number and argument that since we have to oppose the trust vote we should be given opposition status on the day,” Kumar told reporters emerging from the Legislative Council of which he is a member. He said a similar plea has been submitted in Legislative Council too to accord status of opposition party to JD(U). Current Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav countered Chaudhary’s argument by saying that confidence vote is for the Cabinet and except for Manjhi other ministers despite being suspended remain a member of JD(U). “How can JD(U) sit in both treasury and opposition sides?” Yadav told reporters. Before walking out of the meeting, the BJP leader accused the Speaker of adopting a “partisan” approach and “running Assembly secretariat as JD(U) party office.” Manjhi, who was invited to the meeting in the capacity as leader of the House, did not attend it. Legislature party leaders of RJD, Congress and CPI were present. “We waited for Manjhi for good 15-20 minutes but he did not turn up for the all-party meeting,” Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary told reporters during a meeting of Press Advisory Committee meeting of the Assembly. Flanked by BJP leader and Deputy Speaker Amrendra Pratap Singh, the Speaker said members have to sit according to arrangements made by him. “Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will sit on his original chair marked for the CM despite being declared unattached but his other seven ministers who are still part of JD(U) despite being suspended will have to sit alongside their party colleagues,” the Speaker said. The Speaker said that he has given permission for live telecast of Assembly proceeding on February 20 by TV channels. The Speaker said that as per Assembly Secretariat, the strength of JD(U) in the lower house stands at 109 excluding him as Speaker and Chief Minister Manjhi who has been declared as an unattached member. The Assembly secretariat, he said, would publish a new list of members of different political parties in the House today evening or by tomorrow. On the issue of recognition of the chief whip of JD(U) in view of Manjhi in the capacity of being leader of the House nominating his loyalist Rajiv Ranjan in place of the existing Chief Whip Shrawan Kumar, the Speaker said as per rules the party chief has to inform appointment of a person to this post and so far the JD(U) President had not given any letter for replacing Shrawan Kumar. He said any whip issued Rajiv Ranjan would be “against the rules”. Asked whether the Budget session would continue if Manjhi fails to win confidence vote, the Speaker said in such a condition the Assembly would be adjourned sine die. JD(U) Legislature party leader Vijay Chaudhary told reporters, “The Speaker has full authority to decide about the seating arrangement in the Assembly, and he should exercise it. We will go by whatever he orders.” RJD Legislature Party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who attended the meet, said his party has requested the Speaker to issue the list of party position and seating arrangement when the Assembly meets for the Budget session and confidence motion on Manjhi. “Who will be the leader of the House and who will sit in the opposition should be told by the Speaker,” Siddiqui added. PTI