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Bihar: Speaker replaces BJP's Leader of Opposition with JD(U)'s Vijay Chaudhary

by IBNS 19 Feb 2015, 10:56 am

Patna, Feb 19 (IBNS) In a significant move, Bihar Assembly Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary has notified Vijay Chaudhary of Janata Dal (United) as the Leader of Opposition, reports said.

Chaudhary replaced BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav.

Protesting against the move, BJP MLAs on Thursday demonstrated outside Assembly Speaker's chamber here.

In a somewhat relief for Bihar Chief Minister Jiten Ram Majhi, the Patna high Court on Wednesday lifted the ban on his taking Cabinet decisions but prevented him from implementing them till he wins the trust vote.

The implementation of any decision taken can only happen after the vote of confidence on Feb 20, the court said.

After being expelled from the Janata Dal (United), Manjhi had  met state Governor KN Tripathi earlier and said he is ready to prove his majority through secret ballot.

The JD (U) had expelled Manjhi amid an ongoing turmoil after former CM and party leader Nitish Kumar staked claim to form the government in the state when 97 MLAs  unanimously elected him as the the leader of the state Assembly at a  legislative party meeting.

JD-U said Manjhi is being backed by the BJP president Amit Shah and also has support of  Modi and had been involved in anti-party activities.

Manjhi has been asked to show his strength on the floor of the House by the Governor. Manjhi earlier refused to step down as the CM revolting against his party.

The JD-U had alleged that the BJP and PM Narendra Modi is unethically helping Manjhi.

Nitish Kumar was elected the leader of the Bihar Assembly at a  legislative party meeting on Saturday while his bete noire, chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi recommended to the governor to dissolve the house, stoking possibility of an early election in the state.

Manjhi was named as Bihar CM on May 17, 2014 after Nitish resigned following the party's electoral drubbing in the last Lok Sabha  polls.