Bihar: BJP MLAs to attend two-day training camp at Bodh Gaya ahead of assembly session

It is just like two days of training of party MLAs ahead of the trust vote.The BJP found itself back in power in Bihar last month when old ally Nitish Kumar quit the opposition bloc INDIA and returned to the NDA.The newly formed NDA government will seek trust vote on February 12, when the state assemblys budget session commences.

Bihar BJP legislators will attend a two-day workshop in Bodh Gaya where training will be imparted for the crucial assembly session commencing with the trust vote for the NDA government in the state.

State BJP president Samrat Choudhary confirmed that MLAs and MLCs have been asked to attend the workshop which will conclude on February 11, a day ahead of the commencement of the much-awaited budget session.

Choudhary, who is also a Deputy Chief Minister, did not divulge much details about the workshop. However, party sources speaking on condition of anonymity said it has been ''necessitated by an unprecedented situation in the state, where a newly formed alliance will be facing general elections''.

''Yes, it's a two-day (February 10 and 11) workshop which will be attended by party legislators in Bodh Gaya. Party's central leaders will brief our legislators during the two-day event'', Choudhary told PTI.

Commenting on the development, a party legislator, on condition of anonymity, said, ''There will be different sessions during the workshop. All 78 party MLAs will be provided political tips by our central leaders keeping the crucial assembly session in mind. It is just like two days of training of party MLAs ahead of the trust vote''.

The BJP found itself back in power in Bihar last month when old ally Nitish Kumar quit the opposition bloc INDIA and returned to the NDA.

The newly formed NDA government will seek trust vote on February 12, when the state assembly's budget session commences. The Nitish Kumar-led government has a majority with 128 members supporting the BJP-JD(U) led combine. The magic figure for the majority is 122 in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. After the exodus of JD(U), the strength of the Grand Alliance has been reduced to 114.

Meanwhile, commenting on the training camp, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari said, ''This exercise of the BJP is simply to save the newly formed NDA government in Bihar by keeping its MLAs intact ahead of the crucial trust vote''.

''Since a section of BJP MLAs are not happy with the party joining hands with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) this time, top saffron leaders want to convince those legislators ahead of the crucial trust vote. They (BJP MLAs) will be virtually held captive during the camp'', said Tiwari.

However, Choudhary hit back saying ''in the organisational structure of the BJP, workers are supposed to undergo training from time to time. The opposition should not expect us to seek its permission for conducting such workshops''.

The BJP leader added, ''our legislators will travel to Bodh Gaya on their own and come back to Patna for the assembly session on their own. It is not like the airlifting of MLAs to Hyderabad''.

The allusion was to Congress MLAs in Bihar having been taken to the Telangana capital a week ago, amid fears of poaching by the ruling NDA.

Congress sources maintain that the MLAs will be back in Patna before the trust vote.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)