Days after a landslide victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, the newly elected NDA government is scheduled to take oath on November 20 (Thursday) at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. However, it is still uncertain whether Nitish Kumar will swear in as the Chief Minister for a record tenth term.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to be present at the swearing-in ceremony, as preparations are underway for the establishment of the new NDA government in Bihar. During the Assembly election campaign, PM Modi had spoken at more than a dozen rallies and had pledged to "be back for the swearing-in of a new NDA government".
Nitish Kumar, who has received support from NDA allies to once again assume Bihar's highest office, will preside over his final Cabinet meeting at 11:30 am. The meeting will approve a decision to dissolve the Cabinet, after which Nitish Kumar will tender his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
A resolution will be adopted to "authorise" Nitish Kumar to visit the Governor at Raj Bhavan with the proposal to dissolve the outgoing Assembly, according to a senior Janata Dal (United) leader.
This sequence of events followed the Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal's meeting with the Governor on Sunday, where he presented a list of members elected in the recently concluded Assembly polls, which the NDA dominated.
The NDA secured a commanding majority by capturing 202 seats in the 243-member Assembly, with the BJP emerging as the largest party by winning 89 seats, closely followed by the JD(U) with 85. Union Minister Chirag Paswan's LJP(RV) secured 19 seats, while the remaining nine were claimed by smaller allies, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). In contrast, the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan could only manage 35 seats.
JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who had travelled to Delhi for discussions with senior BJP leaders regarding government formation in Bihar, met with Nitish Kumar on Sunday.
"In a few days, the new government will be formed. You will get to know the details in due course. We are committed to fulfilling all the promises that we have made in the NDA's manifesto," he stated to reporters afterward.
JD(U) EYEING MORE CABINET BERTHS
A JD(U) leader, speaking anonymously, revealed that the party is aiming for increased representation in the new cabinet compared to the previous one, where the party held only 12 ministerial positions.
"We want more berths in the cabinet because our tally has risen sharply since 2020, when we had fewer than 50 MLAs," he further explained. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that satisfying the demands of multiple alliance partners would prove difficult, especially since LJP(RV) and RLM are new additions to the coalition.
LJP(RV) EYEING DEPUTY CM'S POST?
In the meantime, Chirag Paswan indicated that the LJP(RV) is eager to participate in the new government, though he evaded a direct query about whether his party is seeking the Deputy Chief Minister's position.
In the outgoing government, the Deputy Chief Ministers are Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both affiliated with the BJP.
Conversely, HAM, led by Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman, conducted a legislative party meeting in which Sikandra MLA Prafull Manjhi was chosen as the leader.
Suman, who serves as an MLC, declared, "Our full support is to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and we are looking forward to serving the people of Bihar once again."
Also Read: NDA leaders strategise Bihar govt formation
HAM, RLM HOLD PARLEYS WITH BJP
HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLM President Upendra Kushwaha engaged in separate discussions with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP's election in-charge for Bihar, at his Delhi residence on Sunday.
Vinod Tawde, the BJP's in-charge for political affairs in Bihar, was also in attendance during the visits by these two NDA allies to Pradhan's residence. Sources indicate that both Manjhi and Kushwaha addressed matters related to government formation in Bihar and the inclusion of their respective parties in the state cabinet with the BJP leaders.
While the NDA coalition was actively laying the groundwork for the new government, the RJD, the primary opposition party, was grappling with a severe internal conflict, marked by Lalu Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya announcing her exit from politics.
She has alleged that in the aftermath of the party’s defeat, she has been "sworn at", accused of "donating my filthy kidney to my father in exchange for crores of rupees and a party ticket" and that a slipper was raised at her parents' home to hit her.
Acharya, who asserted that she enjoyed "full support of my parents and my sisters", directly attributed her humiliation to her younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, her father's designated successor, along with his aides, including Sanjay Yadav and Rameez.
TEJASHWI YADAV TO REVIEW RJD'S ROUT
Separately, Tejashwi Yadav, who successfully defended his family bastion in Raghopur amid a closely fought battle, is set to examine the factors behind the party's dismal performance in the Assembly elections. The RJD won 25 seats, a significant drop from the 75 it secured in the 2020 elections.
The RJD legislature party meeting is planned for 2 pm at Tejashwi Yadav's Polo Road residence in Patna. Defeated candidates will also be present at the meeting.
Also Read: New Bihar govt swearing-in at Gandhi Maidan Nov 19/20
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