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A day after the NDA’s decisive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, coalition leaders gathered at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s official residence at 1, Anne Marg on Saturday to discuss government formation.

 

Union minister Chirag Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is sharing power in the state, congratulated Kumar and dismissed rumours of a rift. “The NDA’s win puts paid to the opposition’s false narrative that there has been a rift between the two of us. Even during the campaign, the CM canvassed in seats where our candidate was contesting. We reciprocated the gesture and supported the JD(U) candidate in Alauli, which has been our home turf,” he said.

 

Paswan avoided speculation about a deputy CM post, saying, “CM and his deputy are decided jointly by all the legislators,” but added, “personally, I feel that Nitish Kumar ji should continue to lead the government.” Alauli, in Khagaria district, has historic ties to the Paswan family, represented previously by his late father Ram Vilas Paswan and uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras.

Also read: RJD calls Bihar loss part of ‘endless public service journey’

JD(U), with 85 seats, is the second-largest party after the BJP’s 89. Kumar, who did not contest the polls himself, is seen as the central figure in the verdict. NDA partners, including Santosh Kumar Suman of Hindustani Awam Morcha, affirmed Kumar’s continuance as CM.

 

BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav, who won Danapur, dismissed speculation about a deputy CM post, terming it “daydreams,” and declined to comment on Rohini Acharya’s recent announcement quitting politics and “disowning” her family. BJP OBC national general secretary Nikhil Anand lauded Acharya for donating a kidney to her father and urged her and Misa Bharti to “fight” for leadership of RJD.

 

The RJD, previously the single-largest party, won fewer than 30 seats, raising questions over Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership. The Jan Suraaj Party attributed NDA’s performance to voter fear of RJD’s return, post-Red Fort blast polarisation, and alleged state doles.