New Delhi: Nitish Kumar will once again assume the position of Chief Minister with the formation of a new government in Bihar after the NDA’s groundbreaking victory. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schedule.
This time, the NDA won the elections with unprecedented numbers, with both the JDU and BJP surpassing their 2020 performance. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats, followed by the JDU with 85 seats. Even the smaller allies — LJP (RV), HAM, and RLM — performed well.
The process of forming the government gained momentum today with the issuance of the notification for constituting the 18th Bihar Assembly. The Election Commission will brief Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on the final results, after which the Model Code of Conduct will end.
Nitish Kumar has called a cabinet meeting tomorrow. The dissolution of the outgoing 17th Assembly is likely to be approved at the meeting. Once the resolution is passed, Kumar will submit his resignation to Governor Khan, paving the way for the next phase of government formation.
The NDA’s constituent parties will then hold their legislature party meetings to elect the alliance leader and subsequently stake claim to form the new government.
Oath ceremony
Preparations are already underway at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan for what is expected to be a major show of strength by the NDA, with a large lineup of leaders expected to attend Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in ceremony — his record 10th.
Besides PM Modi, several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states, along with other senior alliance leaders, are expected to attend. The NDA is planning a high-impact display of unity and political strength ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls.
Finalisation of cabinet posts
The formula for cabinet formation was finalised at a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi yesterday, sources said. It was also decided that Nitish Kumar would remain Chief Minister despite initial hesitation within the BJP over endorsing him as their leader.
The BJP is likely to have the largest share in the cabinet, followed by the JDU, with smaller allies also being accommodated. The NDA adopted a “one minister for every six MLAs” formula to determine cabinet allocation, according to sources.
The BJP is expected to secure 15 or 16 ministerial berths, while the JDU may get 14. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, is likely to receive three berths. The Hindustani Awam Morcha, headed by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), led by Upendra Kushwaha, may receive one berth each.
