Poaching fear heightens as Bihar Cong MLAs fly to Hyd after J'khand MLAs

New Delhi/Patna: Fears of poaching by the BJP and its allies have touched a new high in politically volatile states in the country.

Days after MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) were flown to Hyderabad after the arrest of former CM Hemant Soren and the installation of a new JMM government led by Champai Soren, all but three MLAs of the Congress in Bihar, the second largest constituent of the ‘Mahagathbandhan', which lost power last week, were on Sunday flown to Hyderabad amid fears of poaching by the BJP-led NDA, party sources said.

In Jharkhand, MLAS of the JMM-led alliance returned to Ranchi from Hyderabad on Sunday evening to face the trust vote on Monday.

As for Bihar, AICC Bihar in-charge Mohan Prakash asserted “rumours are being spread that Congress MLAs will break away, when the truth is that JD(U) legislators are under pressure due to voters' anger against them, after their party's switch to the NDA”.

The latest volte face of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president, who has joined the BJP-led NDA, has sent shockwaves in the ‘Mahagathbandhan' as well as the opposition INDIA bloc.

Congress has 19 MLAs in the state assembly of whom 16 had turned up at a meeting called by its leaders.

“The BJP and the JD(U) together have an absolute majority in the assembly. But, the JD(U)'s numerical strength is far lower than that of the BJP, a fact that has been annoying the chief minister for long,” said a Congress official.

A senior BJP official admitted “we may not need to shore up our numbers in Bihar to survive the floor test scheduled on February 12. But, if some MLAs from the Congress do switch sides, it will definitely lead to a demoralisation in the entire opposition camp, which will be of benefit to the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls”.

Meanwhile, in Ranchi, JMM lawmaker Mithilesh Thakur asserted that the JMM-led coalition will sail through the trust vote.

However, Biranchi Narain, Chief Whip of the BJP, said the coalition was set to lose the vote of confidence.

The alliance between the JMM, Congress and RJD has 47 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, and is supported by a lone CPIML(L) legislator. (PTI)