Kumar managed to fetch 126 votes in favour, despite BJP’s defiance, including those from Congress, CPI and four independents, resulting in four more than the required number.

A total of 24 MLAs including 22 from RJD and 2 Independents voted against JD (U) amid walkout by over 90 BJP MLAs and 1 LJP member.

Replying in support of the debate on confidence votes, Nitish Kumar shot a perfect hit out at the BJP, alleging the party as the sole reason for breaking the alliance in Bihar. He made a scathing attack on Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, in an anonymous manner.

Nitish said there was no support in the country in favour of any leader and BJP will have to repay for its decision in the future. He once again slammed BJP for side cornering their senior leader LK Advani.

Earlier, the BJP members in Bihar Assembly walked out, accusing Nitish Kumar of betraying the command of NDA.

BJP legislature party leader Nandkishore Yadav announced in the assembly, “We know you have mustered majority in the House to ensure passage of trust vote… therefore we are walking out”.

The Haryana Youth Congress is celebrating Rahul Gandhi’s 43^rd birthday in a grand manner.

According to sources says that the Congressmen will participate in social work and cleaning of slums on the eve of his 43rd birthday.

“To mark the occasion, Youth Congress leaders will distribute sewing machines to women belonging to Scheduled Castes or Backward Classes in all 90 Assembly constituencies so that they can earn their livelihood through self- employment”, Haryana Youth Congress President Amit Sihag said.

Rahul Gandhi likely to play a bigger role in future as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him a ‘national leader” recently.

“Rahul Gandhi is a national leader. He has all the right qualities that a leader should have. I have always said, as far as I am concerned, I would be very happy to see Rahul step into my shoes,” Amit Singh said.

After the Janata Dal (United) split with the 17 years old ally Bharatiya Janata Party, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will seek a confidence vote today at a special session of the Assembly to demonstrate his majority.

According to the sources, BJP has instructed its MLAs to vote against JD(U). The RJD is also definitive in opposing the government during the vote, as told to the media by president Lalu Prasad. But the 4 Congress MLAs will refrain from voting.

Although the session has been called to pass some Bills and discuss important issues, this is probably the first instance in the state that a current government is seeking the confidence of the Assembly.

The CM requested the Governor DY Patil to call a special session of the House on Sunday after dismissing the 11 BJP ministers from his Council.

However, going by the numbers, the CM is likely to win the motion. The government has 118 members together with the speaker, in the 243-member House. The BJP has 91; RJD 22, Congress 4, LJP and CPI have one each and 6 Independents. The ruling party need four more votes to reach the majority mark of 122.

The JD(U) already has the support of the four independent members who attended the party meeting on Monday. Also the sole LJP member Zakir Hussain Khan has also articulated his support to the ruling party as he does not want to be on the “communal BJP’s” side.

However, Nitish Kumar can’t vote in the assembly as he is the member of the Legislative Council. But on the virtue of being the CM, he becomes the leader of the lower house and can introduce the motion in that capacity.

In the wake of the vital floor test, the JD(U) and BJP workers clashed yesterday during the”Bihar bandh” called by the latter indicating some high drama during the special session.

While the principal opposition party observed a ‘bandh’ across Bihar, JD(U) and BJP employees beat each other up with lathis, leaving many injured.

Reacting furiously to it, the national general secretary of BJP, Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “What rights does the Bihar CM have to sent his party workers and stage a clash here (BJP office)? He must give an answer.”

The BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said: “We were observing a peaceful bandh. JD(U) workers misbehaved. They must not cross their limits. People of Bihar won’t forgive this.”

The BJP leader, Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of opportunism.

On Monday, an angry BJP had made the decision to expose the “doublespeak” of the Bihar Chief Minister over his Gujarat counterpart by distributing CDs of an old video in which he praised Narendra Modi.

Although the BJP had said that the bandh would not impact public transport services like buses and trains, the staff of the principal opposition party stopped trains.

Mamata said that “Why should I be sorry? They are CPI(M) workers. The people who have been apprehended are from CPI(M),” Mamata said. Shouting at a protester in Barasat and You don’t have to talk so much. Be quiet. Don’t play political games with me.”

After a 20-year-old girl was allegedly gang-rape and murder in West Bengal’s Barasat district.

A group of women protesters on Monday shouted anti-government slogans and forced Banerjee to leave the grieving family’s house within 5 minutes of her arrival there after gang-rape.

According to the sources say that Mamata felt it was a deliberate ploy to insult her.

Earlier, the victim’s family had denied any help from the Bengal govt and had demanded that all rapists should be hanged to death.

The Calcutta High Court had asked the state govt to register an affidavit on the progress made in investigations in this case.

In this case, at least 7 people have been arrested so far. The Court orders while hearing a Public-interest litigation (PIL) seeking an SIT probe.

Last Friday, a 20-year-old college student was allegedly gang-raped and murdered when the victim was coming back home after giving the examination.

The victim was allegedly dragged and raped in an under-construction building and her body was found with injury marks near a neighbourhood canal.

The high-profile leaders from Karnataka who led the party successfully in the state elections are likely to be given a place in the cabinet. Mallikarjun Kharge, who was in the CM’s race, is contemplated to be the Railways Minister. While former minister Oscar Fernandes, is expected to be heading the Surface Transport Minstery.

In addition, Meenakshi Natarajan, who is known for her proximity to Rahul Gandhi and Manik Rao Gavit, are expected to be appointed as minsters of state.

CP Joshi and Ajay Maken, who resigned from their ministerial posts, have been given vital responsibilities in the organisation. Maken is inducted in the party’s media wing, while Ambika Soni, the former I&B Minister is in-charge of the Congress President’s office.

Party president Sonia Gandhi restructured the Congress Working Committee (CWC) as well, the chief decision-making body of the party. The party supremo also constituted screening committees in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram where the elections are looming on the horizon.

Madhusudan Mistry, the party’s general secretary of Karnataka, who led the congress to victory; is made in charge of UP. Digvijaya Singh will be handling Andhra Pradesh where Telangana issue will be a major contention.

He also added that the people of the state gave their sanction to NDA and not to a particular individual or JD(U).

“Till June 9, state JD(U) president Vashishta Naraian Singh was of the view that the NDA was intact in Bihar and appointment of Narendra Modi as BJP’s central campaign committee chairman was the BJP’s internal matter.

Now, JD(U) party leaders are questioning the existence of the BJP in the NDA government” Pandey remarked.

He was also disappointed by the statements of some senior JD(U) leaders seeking removal of BJP from the ruling alliance in Bihar when the national leaders were negotiating with JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and CM Nitish Kumar.

He also mentioned that the party will contest the elections under Modi’s leadership.

The three hour meeting was attended by the BJP national vice-president Dr C P Thakur, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, NDA Convener in Bihar Nandkishore Yadav, Pandey, five ministers and MLAs and delebrated on the problems of the coalition government.

Though many leaders who attended the meeting were firm about withdrawing from the government, Pandey asked the party leadership to hold fire till an official stand is taken by the Chief Minister or the JD(U) president.

The government will now look forward to convince the opposition parties to reach a successful consent over the crucial bill so that it can be passed in Special session of Parliament.

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said, “We would like to make one more effort ahead to ask opposition parties whether they would like to support bill.” “The Food Security Bill is ready. The Bill will be passed in the Special session of Parliament,” he reiterated.

Meanwhile, Food Minister KV Thomas and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath will be meeting Opposition party leaders for seeking their supports and convincing them for passing Food Security Bill.

On Thursday’s meeting, Union Cabinet was expected to take up ordinance to push through the Food Security Bill. Known as the brainchild of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the Food Security NBill has been continuously facing lack of consensus due to constant disruptions by the Opposition leaders in Parliament.

The government had earlier decided to disseminate an ordinance to make Food Security Bill a law, without any prior acceptance from Parliament. This decision was strongly objected from Opposition Parties including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said that BJP was okay with the special session of Parliament to bring the Bill but it  has opposed to an ordinance on the same.

Under Food Security Bill, the Government promises to give subsidized food grains to 75% rural household and 50% in urban areas by providing subsidized rice at Rs.3 per kg and wheat at Rs.2 a kilo.

The Bill will also guarantee at least 25 kilograms of subsidized food grains every month to a family with 5 people. The Opposition has argued that many states are already promising to give 35 kilograms of food grains to families Below Poverty Line (BPL).

According to the sources, Advani has spoken to Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on Wednesday for requesting and placating Nitish Kumar for keeping the National Democratic Alliance intact.

Advani, who had skipped BJP National Executive meet in Goa last week and had submitted his resignation from all party posts, earlier in the day called up Nitish and Janata Dal(United) chief Sharad Yadav for convincing them to remain with the NDA. The speculations are that the two parties might split over Narendra Modi’s elevation in BJP.

Sources said that BJP patriarch Advani has also emphasized that the two parties should contest together in the 2014 Lok Sabha election as they would benefit NDA – the national coalition they are partnering in.

However, reports are that Nitish Kumar is in no mood to make any compromise and is further looking up for its meet with JD(U) leaders on 15^th June to discuss its ties with the BJP.  He is reportedly bristling over growing hold of Narendra Modi in Bharatiya Janata Party and preparing for end of partnership.

With LK Advani relenting on allowing Narendra Modi Chief Minister of Gujarat continue as the head of the poll campaign committee, obviously at the behest of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the JD(U) has been pressured to reconsider its continuance in the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is opposed to Narendra Modi being projected as the PM candidate of the NDA. Modi’s anointment as the BJP election panel chief is a step towards him being titled party’s PM candidate finally.

Nitish Kumar, whose party is in power in Bihar in partnership with the BJP, held a Cabinet meeting yesterday evening. However, sources reported the matter of Modi and Advani tussle did not come up at the meeting.

But that doesn’t mean, add sources, that the JD(U) has readied itself to accept ‘PM’ Modi.

Nitish is reported to have said all MLAs not to leave Patna till June 15. Cause: the party could be forced to take a final decision on its continuance in the NDA anytime soon.