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Bihar house shoots down Vananchal bill, backs Rabri Devi

The Rabri Devi government in Bihar had its way in the state assembly on Monday night with the house first rejecting the bill relating to the formation of a separate state of Vananchal and then reposing its confidence in the government.

After a marathon two-day debate, the Vidhan Sabha rejected the Bihar Reorganisation Bill by a vote of 181 to 106. It also appealed to President K R Narayanan not to give his consent for ''presentation of the bill in Parliament in the larger interest of the state.''

The government later survived a confidence vote in the house. The confidence motion was put to vote by speaker Deo Narayan Yadav, after it was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Upendra Prasad Verma, and was adopted by voice vote amid a walkout by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India, CPI-ML and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha factions.

However, in a show of defiance, Bihar Institutional Finance Minister Aklu Ram Mahato revolted against the RJD leadership in the assembly, saying no one could stop the formation of a separate state of Jharkhand.

Mahato walked out of the house making this observation in protest against the alleged denial of opportunity to him to participate in the ongoing debate on the Bihar Reorganisation Bill seeking creation of a separate state of Vananchal comprising 18 districts of South Bihar.

Later, replying to newsmen's queries, Mahato said every individual had the right to express their views and he was denied opportunity by the party to speak on the bill.

He said a separate state would have to be carved out and it was the struggle for existence of the tribals. Mahato stated he belonged to the Jharkhand region, and if he did not support the formation of a separate state, he would be dubbed as a traitor by his tribal brethren.

Mahato said he could even sacrifice his ministership for the cause of the tribals, if the situation so warranted.

The agitated minister was later pacified when RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, watching the proceedings of the house from the chief minister's chamber in the assembly, instructed his lieutenants to allot time for Mahato to express his views on the bill.

Moving the resolution, Verma said an atmosphere of uncertainty was prevailing in the state following the withdrawal of support by the JMM factions.

He said the JMM leaders had not only withdrawn support, but also given in writing to Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari that the state government had been reduced to a minority .

At least 190 legislators belonging to the RJD, CPI, CPI-ML, the Congress party, the Revolutionary Communist Party of India and independents voted for the motion, while none voted against as all parties opposed to the RJD government had walked out of the house.

UNI

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