Days after securing a massive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, the new NDA government is all set to take oath on November 20 at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. However, uncertainty remains over whether Nitish Kumar will take oath as Chief Minister for the tenth time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the ceremony. During the election campaign, he addressed multiple rallies and assured voters that he would “return for the swearing-in of a new NDA government.”
Nitish Kumar to Resign Before New Cabinet Formation
Nitish Kumar, who is backed by NDA allies to lead the state once again, will chair his final cabinet meeting at 11:30 am. A resolution will be passed to dissolve the existing cabinet, after which he will submit his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
The process moved forward after Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal submitted the list of newly elected MLAs to the Governor on Sunday.
NDA’s Strong Majority in Bihar
The NDA secured an overwhelming majority by winning 202 out of 243 seats, with:
- BJP: 89 seats
- JD(U): 85 seats
- LJP (RV): 19 seats
- HAM & RLM: 9 seats combined
The opposition Mahagathbandhan managed just 35 seats, with the RJD recording a steep decline from its 2020 performance.
JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who met top BJP leadership in Delhi, confirmed that details of the new government will be revealed soon.
JD(U) Seeking More Cabinet Berths
A JD(U) leader stated that the party expects more cabinet posts, as its seat tally has significantly increased compared to 2020.
However, the challenge lies in accommodating newer allies like LJP(RV) and RLM, who also want key positions.
Will LJP(RV) Get Deputy Chief Minister’s Post?
Chirag Paswan hinted that his party is ready to join the government but avoided answering questions about seeking the Deputy Chief Minister post.
In the outgoing government, both deputy CMs – Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha – were from the BJP.
On the other hand, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) elected Prafull Manjhi as their legislative party leader during a meeting chaired by minister Santosh Kumar Suman, who reiterated full support to Nitish Kumar.
Alliance Talks Continue in Delhi
HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLM President Upendra Kushwaha met Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to discuss cabinet representation and government formation.
BJP national leader Vinod Tawde was also present during the discussions.
RJD Faces Internal Turmoil After Defeat
While the NDA prepares for a smooth transition, the opposition RJD is grappling with major infighting.
Lalu Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya announced her exit from politics, claiming she faced abuse and accusations following the party’s poor performance. She blamed internal factions led by her brother Tejashwi Yadav and his close aides for her humiliation.
Tejashwi Yadav to Review RJD’s Poor Performance
Tejashwi, who narrowly retained his seat in Raghopur, has called a review meeting at his residence on Polo Road at 2 pm.
All losing candidates have been asked to attend and analyze the reasons behind RJD’s steep fall from 75 seats in 2020 to just 25 seats this year.
