Patna: Preparations to form a new government in Bihar will formally begin from tomorrow, JD(U) MP and national executive president Sanjay Kumar Jha said. The development comes amid expectations that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may step down today or tomorrow after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha member.
Nitish Kumar, who recently won the Rajya Sabha election, is expected to submit his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain. Reports said the move would mark the end of his more than two-decade-long run in state politics.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Nitish Kumar in Patna, Jha said discussions among National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders are underway and the process will be taken up officially from tomorrow. He added that, as per the BJP’s recommendation, alliance MLAs would choose the next chief minister, with the BJP playing a key role.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and senior JD(U) leader and state minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary met Nitish Kumar for consultations. A cabinet meeting has been announced for tomorrow, after which a BJP MLAs’ meeting is expected to pick the new leader.
The BJP has appointed Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the party observer for selecting its Bihar legislature leader. Names said to be under consideration for the chief minister’s post include Samrat Choudhary, Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai, and state ministers Lakhendra Paswan and Shreyasi Singh. Party sources said the new cabinet could be sworn in the day after tomorrow, with reports also suggesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah may attend the ceremony; if the Prime Minister’s participation is confirmed, the swearing-in may be held on April 18.
