Having served for almost two decades as the face of Bihar politics, JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on Tuesday dismissed his entire cabinet and resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, submitting his resignation to the governor of the state, Syed Ata Hasnain. This marks the beginning of an era, which will see the Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time ever rule Bihar under its banner.
The whole exercise was started from Old Secretariat, Patna, where Kumar convened a last-minute meeting of his ministers to bid them farewell. Those present described a room heavy with emotion as a long era of governance drew to a close. State minister Ram Kripal Yadav told reporters outside that it was a deeply moving experience for the entire team, confirming that the Chief Minister would be heading to Raj Bhavan later in the afternoon.
Kumar, the longest-serving leader in the state's history, was expected to conclude the formalities by 3 pm. This timeline was designed to allow the BJP, now the single largest party with 89 seats in the 243-member assembly, to gather its legislators and choose a successor.
The BJP’s headquarters became the hive of activity following the announcement. The importance of the transition was underscored by the arrival of senior central figures, including BJP National General Secretary BL Santhosh and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was appointed as the central observer for the leadership election.
Sanjay Saraogi, the Bihar BJP State President, confirmed that the broader NDA coalition would meet at 4 pm in the Central Hall of the Legislative Assembly to formally ratify the new leader.
Members of Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) reflected on his legacy— Sanjay Kumar Jha, the party’s National Working President, spoke of the pride Kumar had restored to the state, remarking that before his tenure, many felt a sense of shame regarding Bihar’s reputation. He insisted that while Kumar was stepping down, his "guidance" would remain a cornerstone for both the current and future administrations.
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