32nd Chief Minister of Bihar, Jitan Ram Manjhi during the 'Swearing In' ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Patna on Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Meeting for the first time after Lok Sabha poll results, which forced change of guard in Bihar too, bonhomie prevailed in the state Legislative Assembly today.
The Assembly has been convened by new Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to seek trust vote. Before the House started its business at 11 AM, Mr Manjhi went to the Leader of Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav and shook hands. He later went to all members cutting across party lines and shook hands with them.
The members also congratulated him and hailed the party's decision of electing a member of 'Mahadalit' community, weakest among the weaker Dalit section, as the CM. At the very outset in his speech on trust motion, Mr Yadav greeted Mr Manjhi.
Ruling JD(U) members were also gracious enough to congratulate BJP legislators Ashwani Choubey and Janardan Singh Sigriwal who won Lok Sabha elections from Buxar and Maharajganj, respectively.
Exchange of pleasantries continued when five newly elected members in the Assembly by poll took oath and went to shake hands with the CM, Speaker Udai Narayan Choudhary and all other members.
But, the exchange of roses and show of smile for adversaries soon evaporated as the House started debate over the confidence vote.
While all these things were happening in the House, outgoing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who resigned after JD(U)'s debacle in the general elections was missing from the scene.
(Also see Nitish Kumar)
Even former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was not seen in the visitors' gallery where state BJP chief Mangal Pandey and others were seated.