Congress shifts 18 MLAs to Hyderabad amid political developments in Bihar

Hyderabad: In a precautionary move, 18 Congress MLAs were relocated to Hyderabad from Bihar on Sunday.

According to sources, the shift comes amidst political turbulence in Bihar, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's unexpected departure from the India alliance to join the NDA.

Following his resignation and subsequent oath-taking with BJP support, the NDA alliance, led by Nitish, is required to prove their majority in the Bihar Assembly on February 12.

Anticipating potential defections, the Congress has taken measures to safeguard its MLAs. As part of this strategy, 18 MLAs were moved to Hyderabad, with one MLA, Anwarul Haq, remaining in Bihar for personal reasons.

The Telangana Congress has established a special camp for these MLAs at Ibrahimpatnam Park Avenue Resorts, overseen by AICC Secretary Sampath and MLA Malreddy Rangareddy. The MLAs are expected to stay in Hyderabad until one day before the strength test.

However, reports suggest that the Congress plans to send them back to Patna shortly before the floor test in the Bihar Assembly.

In the current Bihar Assembly, which has 243 members, the support of 122 MLAs is crucial to forming a government. The NDA alliance, comprising the BJP, JDU, and HAM, currently has the support of 127 MLAs. Despite this slight majority, the Congress has taken precautionary measures by relocating its MLAs to Hyderabad.

Similar political developments have unfolded in Jharkhand, where Congress MLAs were moved to Hyderabad amid efforts to prevent defections through the alleged "Operation Lotus." The MLAs reportedly returned on Sunday, just ahead of the strength test scheduled for Monday.