Four JD-U MLAs not present in party meeting, Minister says in touch and will reach in time for vote

Patna: A day ahead of the crucial floor test of Nitish Kumar government, a meeting of JD-U MLAs was held at the residence of Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Sunday but 4 lawmakers were not present. However, another Minister said that they were in touch with all four and they would be reaching here in time for the vote.

The meeting started at 5 p.m. and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also present.

Sources have said that of the missing four MLAs, three – Bima Bharti, Sudarshan Kumar, and Dilip Rai – had their phones switched off or out of network coverage area, while Dr Sanjiv Kumar, who represents Parbatta in Khagaria district, was in Goa but is expected to reach Patna by Monday.

On Saturday, a lunch party was held at the residence of Rural Development Minister Shrawan Kumar here where these MLAs as well as Shalini Mishra were not present.

However, Mishra, who went to Delhi a few days ago, had returned to Patna and was present in the Sunday meeting. “We are with Nitish Kumar and we will win the vote of trust,” she said.

Cabinet minister Sumit Singh, who is an Independent, said that the “missing” lawmakers will reach Patna for the floor test on Monday.

“We have contacted them and they are on the way to Patna. There will be no ‘Khela’ (gamke) in Bihar. We are the players (Khiladi) and we will do the Khela,” he said.

Asked about the phones of three MLAs being switched off, Singh said that the party leaders have contacted them on their alternate numbers and they had promised to come to Patna.

During the 2020 Assembly election as well as during the formation of Mahagathbandhan government, Bima Bharti had openly objected to Lesi Singh being made minister.

On the other hand, Sudarshan Kumar was not pleased with senior party leader Ashok Chaudhary, considered close to Nitish Kumar, and had blamed him for interfering in his constituency. Rai was in the RJD before the 2020 Assembly election and joined the JD-U in the run-up to it.

–IANS