Bihar Congress MLAs return from Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Feb 11 (IANS) The Congress MLAs from Bihar returned to Patna on Sunday after a week-long stay in Hyderabad.

A day before the floor test of the new NDA government in Bihar, the MLAs of opposition Congress returned from Hyderabad.

The legislators boarded a flight from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad after they were escorted amid tight security from a resort.

The Congress had shifted its MLAs to Hyderabad to avoid possible poaching attempts by BJP and Janata Dal (United) in the run-up to the trust vote.

Sixteen MLAs had landed in Hyderabad on February 4 and were accommodated at a resort near the city.

Party sources said remaining three MLAs later joined them.

Tight security arrangements were made for their stay at Siri Nature's Valley Resort at Kagazghat in Rangareddy district, about 40 km from the city.

The Congress, which is in power in Telangana, had made all arrangements to make the MLAs' stay comfortable.

The MLAs had also visited Tirupati in neighboring Andhra Pradesh and had darshan at Balaji temple.

The MLAs were moved from Patna to Hyderabad amid poaching fears ahead of the trust vote on February 12.

The Congress is the second largest constituent of 'Mahagathbandhan' which lost power after Chief Minister and JD-U president Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA recently.

The Bihar MLAs had arrived in Hyderabad on a day when Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress MLA returned to Ranchi after a three-day stay in Hyderabad.

About 40 MLAs of the two parties had stayed at Leonia Resort on the outskirts of Hyderabad for three days.

Jharkhand's new government led by Champai Soren proved its majority in the state Assembly on February 5.

--IANS

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