Patna, Jul 28 (Agencies): Two days after he dramatically embraced the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday proved his majority in the Bihar assembly while the RJD protested in the house during the confidence vote.
Contrary to fears, no cross-voting took place during the show of strength. Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar sailed through with 131 votes in his favour and 108 against.
Soon after the assembly met, Nitish Kumar moved a resolution to seek a trust vote.
Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi had asked the chief minister yesterday to seek a confidence vote within two days of his swearing in.
Kumar, 66, was sworn in yesterday, returning to the National Democratic Alliance after four years.
The NDA alliance had submitted a list of 132 MLAs to the governor. These included 71 of JD(U), BJP 53, RLSP two, LJP two, HAM one and three independents.
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the RJD has 80 MLAs, the Congress 27 and the CPI-ML has three.
Apparently convinced that the JD-U-BJP government had adequate support to win the motion, RJD members protested in and out of the house.
RJD legislators while staging protests outside the Bihar assembl described Nitish Kumar as the "Chief Minister of the Sangh".
Shouting slogans and carrying placards, the Rashtriya Janata Dal legislators stood at the main entrance of the assembly, protesting against Nitish Kumar.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashjwi Yadav also joined them.
He accused Nitish Kumar of cheating the people of Bihar and called him "Chief Minister of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)".
"He cheated and betrayed the people of the state who gave him massive mandate. He played dirty politics. He just looked for an excuse to defame us and join the NDA," Tejashwi Yadav said before entering the House.
"Everyone can see how he switched sides. Earlier he used to speak of Sangh-mukt Bharat and now he is the Chief Minister of the Sangh. He has changed his stand from 'Hey Ram' to 'Jai Shri Ram'," he said.
He also told reporters that he would raise the issue inside the House. He accused the BJP of corruption charges.
Some RJD legislators shouted slogans like "Nitish Kumar hai hai", "Nitish Kumar dhokhebaaz (unreliable).
According to party leaders, RJD planned to stage protest inside the state assembly and will walk out before Nitish Kumar proved his majority on the floor of the house.