INDIA gets a surprise in Bihar too: 3 MLAs surface in Treasury ranks, strike at Cong’s Dalit base

A fortnight afterthree RJD MLAs crossed over to the JD(U) during the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to prove his majority at the head of an NDA government, three more legislators from the INDIA bloc surfaced among the Treasury ranks Tuesday.

As the Assembly proceedings began, Congress MLAs Murari Prasad Gautam and Siddharth Saurabh, and the RJD’s Sangeeta Kumari were led by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary to the side where the NDA MLAs were sitting. The three later said they were quitting their parties, and are expected to join the BJP.

A stunned RJD and Congress said they would lodge complaints with the Speaker to initiate proceedings against the three under the anti-defection law. However, party leaders expressed apprehension that the Speaker may choose to treat the three as a “separate group”.

While Gautam is the MLA from Chenari reserved seat and a former minister, Saurabh is a legislator from Bikram, and Sangeeta Kumari an MLA from the Mohania (SC reserved) seat.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari toldThe Indian Express: “This is a blatant violation of rules. No MLA can cross over like this.”

Tiwari added that he hoped the Speaker does not accept the three MLAs as a separate group, but “acts impartially as per the decorum of his chair and treats them as defectors”.

Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari accused the BJP of misusing its powers. “This is not a good precedent. How can MLAs cross over from the Opposition to Treasury Benches like this? Let us see how the Speaker responds to our complaints.”

Senior BJP leader and Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, however, defended the move of the three MLAs, saying: “The Opposition is rudderless. Its leader (Tejashwi Yadav) is not coming to the Vidhan