The promised “khela” (game) did happen with cross-voting witnessed and kidnapping charges hurled, but chief minister Nitish Kumar’s NDA government won the trust vote comfortably in the Bihar Assembly on Monday.

The NDA polled 129 votes, boosted by cross-voting from three RJD members. The vote count against the government was zero, the Mahagathbandhan having walked out en masse while Nitish was speaking during the debate on the motion.

RJD members Neelam Devi (wife of jailed don Anant Singh), Chetan Anand (son of former MP and muscleman Anand Mohan) and Prahlad Yadav voted for the NDA, which had 128 MLAs in the House of 243.

Since JDU legislator and Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari was presiding, the NDA should have had 130 votes. However, JDU member Dilip Rai did not attend the House.

Rai is expected to formally join the RJD soon and contest the Lok Sabha polls from Sitamarhi, sources said.

However, the JDU claimed Rai had been kidnapped along with party MLA Bima Bharti — who was late to arrive in the Assembly — and offered Rs 10 crore and a minister’s post to vote against the government. The JDU’s Harlakhi MLA, Sudhanshu Shekhar, has got an FIR registered in Patna.

An indication of the results had come earlier in the day when a no-confidence motion brought by NDA members against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, who happens to be from the RJD, was upheld by a 125-112 vote.

Senior BJP member and former minister Nand Kishore Yadav is poised to be elected Speaker on Tuesday.

During his speech, Nitish accused the RJD of luring NDA legislators with money and promised a “probe into the origin of the money”.

On his recent stint with the Mahagathbandhan and his efforts to unite the Opposition against the BJP, he said he had “laboured to bring everybody together but nothing happened”.

He said the Congress resented his efforts and he found out that Lalu Prasad — whom Nitish referred to as the father of Mahagathbandhan leader and RJD member Tejashwi Prasad Yadav — was also on its side.

“I then understood that nothing was going to happen and returned to my earlier place (NDA). I have come here forever,” he said.

He alleged that RJD leaders were engaged in “making money”, something he said the BJP never did.

Nitish lost his cool when the Opposition created a ruckus during his speech.

Earlier, Tejashwi had taken a swipe at Nitish for repeatedly changing sides. He repeatedly said he respected Nitish and wished him a long life, and promised his party’s support for the chief minister’s development projects.

Striking a sentimental note, he said: “Dashrath (Nitish) never wanted to send Ram (Tejashwi) to vanvas, but his wife Kaikeyee wanted to do so. You must understand the Kaikeyees surrounding you.”

He said Nitish should have at least informed him before going over to the NDA.

“If he had issues with our ministers, we would have supported him from outside. Your nephew (Tejashwi) will now hold up the flag that you took up to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Tejashwi said.