RJD's Awadh Bihari Chaudhary ousted as Bihar Assembly Speaker

RJD leader Awadh Bihari Chaudhary was ousted as the Speaker of the Bihar assembly on Monday. The motion of no-confidence, initiated by the ruling NDA, garnered the support of 125 MLAs, while 112 members opposed it in the 243-member assembly.

Chaudhary's refusal to resign after his party's loss of power two weeks ago, coupled with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's withdrawal from the 'Mahagathbandhan' alliance to rejoin the BJP-led coalition, led to his removal. The motion was put forward by BJP MLA Nandkishore Yadav.

Following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's sudden departure from the Mahagathbandhan alliance and subsequent return to the BJP-led NDA, the RJD, represented by Chaudhary, lost its grip on power. Just weeks after the NDA government took office, the ruling coalition wasted no time in initiating a no-confidence motion against Chaudhary.

Despite mounting pressure, Chaudhary has stood firm in his refusal to resign from his role as Speaker. This has stirred unease within the NDA ranks, given their narrow majority and apprehension about a trust vote occurring under the leadership of an opposition party member.