By getting a ruling BJP legislator elected as the deputy speaker of the Assembly on Tuesday and thereby breaking a 35-year-old tradition, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar apparently hopes to gain three critical political advantages, even though the move has further antagonised the Opposition.
With the main Opposition party, RJD, finally deciding not to field a candidate, senior BJP legislator Amarendra Pratap Singh was elected unopposed as the deputy speaker. The numerically weaker RJD, which was not consulted on this election, had earlier announced the name of its Fatuha MLA Ramanand Yadav as a contender. In the last Assembly, Shakuni Chaudhary of the RJD was the deputy speaker. The current JD(U)-BJP government’s success in making a ruling party leader the deputy speaker broke a 35-year-old tradition of offering the office to the main Opposition party.
But the government’s decision to elevate Mr Singh, arrived at after discussions between the two ruling allies, may serve three far-reaching political purposes. NDA sources said it could silence the vocal upper-caste BJP legislator from Ara known for asking uncomfortable questions in the Assembly and strengthen the government’s efforts at taming a vote-bank turmoil among the upper castes building up in the aftermath of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Mukhia’s murder. Besides, since the MLA has also been a major vocal supporter of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in Bihar’s BJP, his elevation, reportedly proposed by Mr Kumar himself, could ensure he speaks little on the issue that has become a bone of contention between the two ruling allies, said the sources.
“Singh as deputy speaker of the Assembly will also bring a big relief to the BJP because the party has consistently ignored his demands for a ministerial berth. Since another Rajput MLA, Ramadhar Singh, is already a minister, this demand cannot be fulfilled,” said a senior BJP legislator.
The RJD, despite previously accusing the NDA government of “conspiring to break a noble democratic tradition” of deputy speaker, congratulated Mr Singh on his unanimous election.