RJD MLA Chetan Anand, who was reported missing by his family, was found at Tejashwi Yadav's residence where he had gone willingly. The family had raised concerns about him being under house arrest ahead of the Bihar government's floor test. The NDA government, led by Nitish Kumar, is set to face a trust vote, with JD(U) expressing confidence despite the absence of a few MLAs. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan fears poaching and aims to show unity during the crucial vote.
Ahead of the February 12 floor test of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, the JD(U) issued a whip to its legislators to be present in the assembly during the vote, while the opposition RJD moved all its MLAs and MLCs to Tejashwi Yadav’s residence in Patna. The NDA government, with a wafer-thin majority, has the support of 128 legislators, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan has the support of 115 MLAs. The RJD's move to shift its legislators was to prevent "horse-trading" attempts by the ruling alliance, while the BJP accused the RJD of keeping its leaders under "house arrest" and expressed confidence in the NDA's position.
Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren criticized his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate as a "black chapter" in Indian democracy, while the JMM-led alliance, now under CM Champai Soren, successfully passed a trust vote in the state assembly. The alliance secured 47 votes, while the opposition NDA had 29. Hemant Soren alleged that the BJP and the governor were involved in his arrest, and vowed to fight back. The ED has evidence linking him to alleged land-related irregularities in Ranchi.
Ahead of the crucial floor test in Jharkhand, the governing alliance of JMM-Congress-RJD flew their MLAs back to Ranchi from a resort in Hyderabad amid concerns over potential last-minute challenges. New CM Champai Soren is set to conduct the floor test on the first day of the assembly’s special session, claiming the support of 47 MLAs out of 48 in the alliance. Former CM Hemant Soren's presence is anticipated to address BJP’s accusations ahead of the upcoming polls. All MLAs were escorted to Ranchi circuit house for the night and will be bussed to the assembly together for Monday’s special session.
