After Jharkhand, Bihar Congress MLAs flown to Hyderabad amid poaching fears ahead of trust vote | India News – Times of India
PATNA: Bihar Congress on Sunday shifted 16 out of its total 19 legislators to a resort in Hyderabad in what is being seen as an attempt to keep its flock together ahead of the crucial trust vote after the formation of the new NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar in the state. Another legislator is on the way and will join them tomorrow, a top Congress official informed.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who formed his new government with the support of the BJP and its allies on January 28 is to seek a trust vote on February 12.
Informed sources said the decision to relocate the lawmakers was taken in view of concerns over some Congress MLAs allegedly being in touch with Nitish’s JD(U) and thus shifting them to Hyderabad is being seen as a precautionary step to prevent poaching. Sources added all these legislators would reach Patna on the day of trust vote and would move to the state assembly straightway from the airport to take part in the voting process.
Key figures of Bihar Congress, including state president Akhilesh Singh and former state president Madan Mohan Jha, are leading the delegation. All MLAs reportedly travelled from Delhi Airport to Hyderabad.
The Congress lawmakers reached Hyderabad on Sunday evening. “We have come here for sightseeing,” one of the Congress legislators told the media at the Hyderabad airport.
As per reports, the top Congress leadership had called in their legislators for an important meeting in Delhi with party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday and finally they were “held up” and shifted to Hyderabad.
“Our Bihar MLAs have been shifted to Hyderabad for obvious reasons,” a senior Congress leader confided to the TOI on Sunday, adding their party was fully intact and no question of anyone poaching them.
Nitish, who formed his new government with the support of BJP and its allies claims to have the support of 128 MLAs but there are apprehensions that some of them could be absent from the voting process or go for cross-voting.
Reacting sharply to shifting of Congress MLAs to Hyderabad, Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha of the BJP alleged the development indicated the Congress was very scared. “It’s like holding the party leaders hostage. They don’t have trust in them,” Sinha said. “They must not think that the party MLAs are bonded laborers. They must be allowed to act as per their own will,” he added.
“The NDA must not think about us, we all are intact, instead they should worry about keeping their flock together,” Congress lawmaker Prem Chandra Mishra claimed on Sunday.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who formed his new government with the support of the BJP and its allies on January 28 is to seek a trust vote on February 12.
Informed sources said the decision to relocate the lawmakers was taken in view of concerns over some Congress MLAs allegedly being in touch with Nitish’s JD(U) and thus shifting them to Hyderabad is being seen as a precautionary step to prevent poaching. Sources added all these legislators would reach Patna on the day of trust vote and would move to the state assembly straightway from the airport to take part in the voting process.
Key figures of Bihar Congress, including state president Akhilesh Singh and former state president Madan Mohan Jha, are leading the delegation. All MLAs reportedly travelled from Delhi Airport to Hyderabad.
The Congress lawmakers reached Hyderabad on Sunday evening. “We have come here for sightseeing,” one of the Congress legislators told the media at the Hyderabad airport.
As per reports, the top Congress leadership had called in their legislators for an important meeting in Delhi with party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday and finally they were “held up” and shifted to Hyderabad.
“Our Bihar MLAs have been shifted to Hyderabad for obvious reasons,” a senior Congress leader confided to the TOI on Sunday, adding their party was fully intact and no question of anyone poaching them.
Nitish, who formed his new government with the support of BJP and its allies claims to have the support of 128 MLAs but there are apprehensions that some of them could be absent from the voting process or go for cross-voting.
Reacting sharply to shifting of Congress MLAs to Hyderabad, Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha of the BJP alleged the development indicated the Congress was very scared. “It’s like holding the party leaders hostage. They don’t have trust in them,” Sinha said. “They must not think that the party MLAs are bonded laborers. They must be allowed to act as per their own will,” he added.
“The NDA must not think about us, we all are intact, instead they should worry about keeping their flock together,” Congress lawmaker Prem Chandra Mishra claimed on Sunday.
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