Patna: JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar was chosen leader of the NDA in Bihar during a meeting of newly elected MLAs of the alliance partners here on Wednesday, state minister Shrawon Kumar said.
Kumar will take oath as the chief minister for a record 10th time at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on Thursday.
The proposal for the leader of NDA was moved by JD(U)’s Vijay Choudhary and seconded by BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha. MLAs of the LJP(RV), HAM, and RLM also seconded the proposal, Shrawon Kumar said.
Earlier in the day, Kumar was elected as leader of the JD (U)’s legislature party by the newly elected MLAs of the party.
The NDA stormed back to power in Bihar, winning 202 seats in the 243-member assembly, with BJP bagging 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5, and RLM 4.
After the JD(U) meeting, Nitish Kumar, accompanied by Vijay Chaudhary and Sanjay Jha, attended the NDA legislative party meeting in the State legislative assembly’s Central Hall, where he was elected as the leader of the NDA.
Kumar will meet Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan in the evening, requesting him to initiate the process for the formation of the new government. He will also submit a letter of support from all NDA constituents to the governor for the formation of the new government.
“For the first time in the history of Bihar, and even in the history of India and the world, our Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will take oath for the tenth time. Bihar has a very grand occasion to celebrate, welcoming the new government with new challenges. This phase will truly be a golden era for Bihar,” said BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
The swearing-in of the new government is scheduled for November 20, but leaders of the JD(U) and the BJP are reportedly yet to resolve their differences over key positions, with both parties negotiating over the Deputy Chief Minister posts and the Speaker’s position. BJP’s Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha are likely to be retained as deputy CMs.
The NDA swept back to power with 202 seats in the 243-member House, with BJP bagging 89, JD(U) 85, LJP (RV) 19, HAM-S 5 and RLM 4. The opposition’s Mahagathbandhan was decimated to less than 40 seats, with RJD getting 25 and the Congress getting six out of the 61 it had contested.
While JD(U) is expected to retain most of its existing ministers, the BJP is likely to bring in several new faces, sources told CNN-News18. Smaller allies, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM-S, and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM, are also set to find representation.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place in historic Gandhi Maidan on November 20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several top NDA leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, are expected to attend the event. Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states, including Chandrababu Naidu from Andhra Pradesh, Conrad Sangma from Meghalaya, and Nephiu Rio from Nagaland, are likely to be present there.
