Jitan Ram Manjhi wins trust vote

PATNA: The three-day-old Jitan Ram Manjhi government in Bihar on Friday won the trust vote in the state Assembly amid walkout by opposition BJP.

The confidence motion moved by Manjhi was passed by members at a special session by voice vote. In the state Assembly, whose effective strength presently is 237, the Manjhi-government managed getting the support of 145 legislators.

Besides 117 JD(U) MLAs, 21 of the RJD, four of the Congress, one of CPI and two Independents voted in favour of the trust motion while 88 BJP legislators staged walkout in the House before the motion was put to vote.

68-year-old Jitan Ram Manjhi became Bihar's Chief Minister on May 20 after Nitish Kumar resigned from the post after JD(U) fared badly in the recently-concluded general elections.

Kumar had nominated Manjhi, an SC&ST minister in his Cabinet, to the Chair of CM as his replacement.