Trust vote heat builds up in Bihar as MLAs huddle; NDA, grand alliance to issue whip

Amid allegations that both political alliances in Bihar — the ruling NDA with the JD(U), BJP and HAM(S), and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) with the RJD, Congress, and three Left parties — are trying to poach MLAs from each other’s camp, all political parties are set to issue whips for their legislators to vote in the February 12 trial of strength in the state Assembly along party lines or face disqualification.

As of now, the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar looks confident of winning the trust vote.

While 16 of the Congress’s 19 MLAs are in Hyderabad, all 78 BJP MLAs attended a two-day training session in Gaya that concluded on Saturday.

The RJD called a meeting of its 79 MLAs in Patna Saturday, even as JD(U) minister Shravan Kumar hosted a lunch for his party’s 45 MLAs in Patna.

Saturday also saw both CPI(ML-Liberation) MLAs — Mehboob Alam and Satydeo Ram — meeting Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi, in what was described as a courtesy call. Former CM Manjhi later reiterated his party’s position, which he had already clarified on Friday in a post on X that “Mai garib hoon lekin dhokebaz nahi. PM Modi ke saath hi rahenge (I’m poor, but not a betrayer. I’ll continue to be with PM Modi)”.

With the support of four HAM(S) MLAs and an Independent legislator, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the 243-member House.

Manjhi’s statement holds political significance as the numbers in the Bihar House are currently stacked in a fine balance in favour of the NDA, and can only get disturbed if the HAM(S) MLAs cross over to the grand alliance. Even without the HAM(S) support, the NDA would have a simple majority of 124 MLAs (BJP 78, JD(U) 45 and Independent 1), but it would be wafer thin, as the