RJD MLA threatens to occupy seat allotted to CM in Bihar assembly

Patna, Nov 28 (PTI) Tensions flared in Bihar assembly on Thursday when an opposition MLA threatened to sit in the seat reserved for the chief minister, sparking outrage from the chair.
    The incident prompted Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav to call the marshals and warn the RJD legislator with eviction, before adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm.
    Trouble started after the Question Hour, when CM Nitish Kumar left the House.
    Senior RJD leader Alok Mehta rose in his chair to raise an objection over rebel MLAs of his party occupying seats on the ruling side.
    "There should be proper seating arrangements. If people take their seats at will, it would lead to chaos," Mehta said, even as other opposition MLAs from the RJD, Congress and three Left parties hollered and stormed the well.
    The Speaker was taken aback by the outbursts and he told the opposition members that nothing that they said will go on record unless they went back to their seats.
    He looked alarmed when Maner MLA Bhai Virendra stood in front of the CM's seat and posed as if he was going to sit down.
    "Don't do this. It would lead to serious consequences," the Speaker said, even as he summoned the marshals, but chose to adjourn the House instead of ordering the eviction of the MLA.
    Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav had a quick word with the Speaker inside the latter's chamber before he told the media, "Our grouse is against the Speaker's inability to decide our petition seeking disqualification of all MLAs who defected earlier this year."
    Notably, at least seven MLAs, five of the RJD and two of the Congress, had crossed over to the NDA in the budget session.
    Yadav said allowing these MLAs to sit on the ruling side was 'arbitrary (ektarfa)' and claimed that the Speaker has given an assurance that the grievance would soon be looked into.
    When Bhai Virendra was approached by journalists with queries, he said, "I only wanted to prove a point. My intention was to warn and not occupy that seat. The Speaker must either disqualify the rebels or direct them to take a seat on the other side."

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)