Speculation about splits and poaching swirled in Patna’s winter air on Saturday, two days ahead of the floor test for Nitish Kumar’s new government, with all the main players calling get-togethers of their MLAs but each witnessing a few absentees.

These gatherings, called on pretexts ranging from feasts to strategy training sessions, were largely audits of loyalty and attempts to herd the legislators as a safeguard against poaching.

Each party brushed away the absences — yet the truancies held out the promise of a tantalising finish to the “khela” (game) promised by both sides.

The NDA has 128 MLAs in a House of 243 — just 6 above the majority mark — while the Mahagathbandhan is 8 short at 114. The lone AIMIM legislator is non-aligned.

Sources said the no-confidence motion brought by the NDA against Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, who happens to be from the RJD, could act as a weathercock before the big test.

Chaudhary has so far refused to resign, which means the no-trust motion against him is likely to be put to vote in the Assembly on Monday before the government seeks a trust vote.

If Chaudhary retains his post, the government would be deemed to be in a minority and would fall.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) held a “unity feast” for its MLAs at minister and party chief whip Sharwan Kumar’s home on Saturday.

A headcount was taken along with signatures, which revealed that only 40 of the party’s 45 MLAs had come. The absentees have been identified as Bima Bharti, Sanjeev, Shalini Mishra, Sudarshan and Dilip Rai.

Nitish stayed for just five minutes and left without talking to journalists.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Our senior leaders have talked to them (absentees) over the phone,” Sharwan said.

“They could not come because of personal engagements, but will arrive in Patna by this evening (Saturday). All 45 will be present at our legislature party meeting on Sunday evening.”

The legislature party meeting will be held at the residence of minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary. The JDU has issued a whip to all its MLAs asking them to be present in Patna.

The BJP gathered its MLAs at a resort in Bodh Gaya for a two-day training session on “strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections”. They will stay put till Sunday evening.

Of the party’s 78 MLAs, two — Rashmi Varma and Vinay Bihari — were absent.

“Both MLAs are on their way to Bodh Gaya. They will definitely attend the programme. All of us are united,” Bihar BJP president and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said.

The RJD, the largest party in the Assembly with 79 MLAs, called all of them to a meeting at the residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi on Saturday evening.

It was chaired by party chief Lalu Prasad and his son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who had first sounded the bugle on a khela.

While sources said that one MLA — Neelam Devi, wife of jailed gangster Anant Singh — stayed away, all the MLAs from the Left parties (CPIML: 12, CPI: 2, and CPM: 2) were present.

The RJD lawmakers have been asked not to leave Rabri’s residence, and their families and aides have been told to send over whatever stuff the MLAs need to make their overnight stay comfortable.

The Congress has herded 16 of its 19 MLAs in the “safe haven” of a Hyderabad resort. They are expected to return on Sunday evening or Monday morning. The party claims the three absentees are ill or attending to some family emergency or event.

CPIML legislature party leader Mehboob Alam visited Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular leader and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi at his residence on Saturday. Manjhi, an NDA partner, has been restless and has demanded an additional state cabinet berth.

BJP sources said Manjhi would be sent to the Rajya Sabha as part of a deal to retain him in the NDA.

Manjhi too posted a message on X saying whatever khela was to happen had happened, and there would be no more of it. “The NDA has been strong under the leadership of Modiji and will remain so,” he wrote.

RJD spokesperson and MLA Bhai Virendra alleged that Nitish wants to dissolve the Assembly so that state elections can be held with the Lok Sabha polls.

“I’m alerting MLAs of all parties because they still have a tenure of around 20 months left. They should not let this happen,” he said.

“Our party is united, the Mahagathbandhan is united. We will give a fitting reply on February 12. The khela will definitely happen.”