Patna,(BiharTimes): All Janata Dal (U) MLAs, including those with chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi camp would sit in opposition benches while the CM and his ministerial colleagues would sit on the treasury benches.

This ruling was given by the Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary on Wednesday. He was authorized at the all-party meet by leaders of the JD(U)-Nitish camp, RJD, Congress and CPI to take appropriate decision on seating arrangement for February 20 trust vote.

The BJP leader, Nand Kishore Yadav, walked out of the meeting while chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and parliamentary affairs minister Brishen Patel were not present.The RJD, Congress and CPI members will sit by the side of the opposition benches.

The 87 MLAs of the BJP, and four Independents siding with Manjhi, would sit in the middle aisle, that is, between treasury and opposition benches.Shrawan Kumar would continue to be the chief whip of the JD(U) and those violating his whip would invite disqualification under the anti-Defection laws would come
into effect.

The Speaker rejected the claim of Rajiv Ranjan, who was declared chief whip by the Manjhi faction. Rajiv Ranjan later dubbed the move of the Speaker as unconstitutional