Samrat wins trust motion, vows to follow Nitish path
PATNA, April 25 -- The Samrat Choudhary government won the trust vote in the Bihar Legislative Assembly by voice vote on Friday. The chief minister vowed "no compromise" on 3 Cs-corruption, crime, and communalism-and promised speedy development of the state with investments worth Rs.5 lakh crore in just one year.
Choudhary, the first BJP leader of the state to become CM, said that these principles were the bedrock of his predecessor Nitish Kumar's rule. The motion moved by him was passed through a voice vote in the House where the ruling NDA has 201 legislators out of total 243.
Listing his priorities, the CM said that his office would directly monitor three things -- block, circle and police stations -- and strive for all-round development focusing on private investment, infrastructural growth, 11 satellite townships, agriculture, education and health.
Choudhary said that the NDA government under former CM Nitish Kumar had been working for all sections of society. "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi strives for a developed India, Nitish Kumar has worked for a prosperous Bihar and the state's transformative journey under his leadership needs to continue with greater speed," he added.
He also hit out at Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav for describing him as a "product of Lalu Prasad School," saying that the atrocities he and his family faced at the hands of the RJD chief resulted in his elevation to the chair of CM now.
"In a democracy, people decide who reaches where and there is no 'pathshaala.' The BJP made me state party chief and deputy CM twice before elevating me to the position of CM. The entire BJP and NDA are one, contrary to what is portrayed in a section of the media," he said.
Attributing his elevation to Nitish Kumar's willpower, Choudhary said that without Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad would also never have become a leader, let alone the CM.
He also lashed out at those who accuse him of fudging his age to get out of jail, saying a minor could not be imprisoned and that he had passed the legal test in the lower court, high court and the Supreme Court. "I have been a six-time minister since 1999 before reaching here as the youngest CM. Lalu Prasad was also the youngest, but he did nothing for Bihar's development. But our sole focus is on progress, creating one crore jobs, industrialisation and Rs.5 lakh worth of private investment in the next couple of years," he added.
Earlier, the House proceedings moved, as expected, with acrimonious exchanges between the ruling side and the Opposition as the House debated the vote of confidence. LoP Tejashwi Prasad Yadav accused the BJP of betraying the mandate and removing Nitish Kumar to install a "selected" CM in place of an elected CM.
Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary from the JD(U), who also holds the state parliamentary affairs charge, retorted that Tejashwi's pain was understandable as he could not digest the smooth generational shift in the NDA after the masses' historic and consistent support for Nitish Kumar. "What happened in Bihar is unparalleled. Nitish Kumar decided to pass on the baton to the next generation at the peak of his popularity, which indicates people's trust due to the transformative journey Bihar witnessed under him and the new government will only take it forward. With this kind of public support, Bihar could also witness a transition to the NDA's third generation. There is nothing unique in the transition. In 2020, JD(U) had just 43 seats against BJP's 74, but Nitish Kumar was requested to continue as CM despite his reluctance," he added.
He, however, admitted that there was a feeling of emptiness due to the absence of a colossal figure like Nitish Kumar. "He decided to serve the Rajya Sabha, but the legacy he has left behind in Bihar and the line of development with justice which he has drawn will be remembered for generations to come," he added.
After the proposal for the trust vote, the House also passed a censure motion moved by Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary by voice vote. This motion condemned the Congress-led Opposition parties for their stance on the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, which sought to implement the women's quota in Parliament and state legislatures and accused them of blocking a historic legislation designed to empower women in politics. It led to the Opposition's boycott.
Condemning the NDA government, Tejashwi Yadav raised the issue of a "quota within quota"-a line followed by his party RJD and other INDIA bloc parties-on the grounds that reservation for women must not result in a decline in the representation of Dalits, OBCs and extremely backward classes.
The RJD leader was slammed by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary who alleged that Yadav and his allies were "stalling" women's reservation and said that women should be left to decide for themselves. CM Samrat Choudhary also said that out of 29 women MLAs in the Bihar Assembly, 23 (over two-thirds) are from the OBC category and their number could have increased to 122 with the passage of the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill....
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