Conspiracy against Nitish govt during floor test, says Bihar Police

Patna: The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has claimed to have uncovered a conspiracy during the floor test of the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 12, 2024, officials said.

According to the EOU officials, there was an attempt to allegedly buy JD(U) MLAs to vote against the Nitish Kumar-led government during the trust vote.

The EOU's investigation revealed that some MLAs received advance payments as part of a scheme to sway their votes.

These payments were allegedly made to ensure that they would support the Opposition-led Grand Alliance, which could have led to the collapse of the NDA government.

The conspiracy reportedly involved individuals from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Nepal, and it is believed that had the government lost the trust vote, the full payment would have been made to the MLAs through hawala transactions across different states.

Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), EOU, said that the police had uncovered evidence of a money trail connected to the alleged horse-trading attempt.

"The EOU has submitted its findings to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for further investigation into potential money laundering activities. The case was initially registered at Kotwali police station on February 11, just a day before the floor test," Dhillon added.

The investigation is ongoing, and the EOU's revelations highlight a serious attempt to manipulate the political process in Bihar.

If the accusations are proven, it would further deepen political tensions in the state, raising questions about the influence of external forces in the state's governance.

On February 12, 2024, a floor test was held for the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar, following a significant controversy involving allegations of horse trading and an attempt to destabilise the government.

The issue gained momentum a day earlier, on February 11, when Sudhanshu Shekhar, a Janata Dal (United) MLA from Harlakhi in Madhubani, complained to the Kotwali police station in Patna, alleging the kidnapping of two fellow MLAs and the offer of a Rs 10 crore inducement as part of a plot to buy votes.

Shekhar's complaint specifically accused MLAs Bima Bharti and Dilip Rai of being kidnapped.

He also claimed that an attempt was made to buy the loyalty of several MLAs, including himself, with offers of money and even ministerial positions.

He named several other MLAs, including his party member, Sanjeev Kumar, who was accused of being involved in this horse-trading conspiracy.

On the day of the floor test, three JD-U MLAs -- including Bima Bharti -- arrived at the Legislative Assembly late and were unable to participate in the Speaker's election.

This raised serious concerns within the Nitish Kumar-led government, which took the matter seriously.

The case was handed over to the EOU for a thorough investigation.

Interestingly, during the floor test, three RJD MLAs -- Prahlad Yadav, Neelam Devi, and Chetan Anand -- were seen aligning with the ruling NDA and Nitish Kumar saved his government.