Bihar's NDA govt will win trust vote, says JD(U) leader Vijay Chaudhary

A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asserted that the newly formed NDA government in the state will win the trust vote, defeating "mala fide intentions of scared detractors".

The NDA government in Bihar is scheduled to face a vote of confidence on February 12.

Talking to PTI, senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who has been retained as a minister in the new cabinet, said, "The NDA government will easily win the trust vote. It is very simple... we (NDA) have the majority.

"Those (opposition leaders) who are scared of the NDA are spreading rumours about the trust vote. Their intentions are mala fide. What I am saying that the NDA government in the state will win the trust vote is bona fide," Chaudhary, a close confidante of the CM, said.

Chaudhary has been a member of the Bihar Assembly since 1982, and is currently holding portfolios of six departments, including parliamentary affairs.

"Floor test is basically a number game... and we have the numbers. Those talking about 'khela' (game) have nothing to show (numbers)... their claims are bogus and misleading," he added.

The newly formed NDA government will face a trust vote on February 12, when the assembly's budget session commences.

The Nitish Kumar-led government has a majority with 128 members supporting the BJP-JD(U) alliance.

The magic figure for the majority is 122 in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. After the JD(U)'s exit, the strength of the Grand Alliance has reduced to 114. One member of the AIMIM is not supporting the alliance.