Patna, Feb 7 – After Bihar Assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary refused step down from his post, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari said on Wednesday that he should step down on moral grounds.
The NDA government in Bihar had moved a no-confidence motion against Speaker Choudhary of the RJD on January 28, soon after the formation of the NDA government in the state.
The NDA leaders tactically planned to serve the notice on January 28, so that they could move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker after 14 days. The 14-day period will get over on February 12. Hence, the budget session has been convened from February 12, when the Nitish Kumar government is scheduled to seek a trust vote.
However, Choudhary on Wednesday stated categorically that he is not going to resign from his post, making his intentions clear to fight till the end against the Nitish Kumar government.
“As per Article 179 of the Bihar Assembly guidelines, if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is facing a no-confidence motion, they cannot sit on the constitutional post. I firmly believe that he (Choudhary) should resign from the post of Speaker on moral grounds as the numbers are not with him,” said Deputy Speaker and JD-U leader Hazari.
When told that Choudhary is claiming that he received the notice for no-confidence motion on Wednesdaay, and that he will not step down from his post, Hazari said: “Despite the no-confidence motion against him, he is insisting on sitting on the same post. I personally believe that he is not making the statements on his own, but under the pressure of the top leadership of the party.
“On day one of the budget session, the Governor will address both the Houses with the Speaker on the chair. He is expected to say how he ran the House during his tenure followed by how he should step down from it.
“The no-confidence motion is against him and it was filed on January 28. The notice was received by his secretary who informed him about the same as well. Yet, he is saying that he is not going to resign, which means he is under pressure from his party,” Hazari said.
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