NDA to form govt in Bihar with Nitish as CM
PATNA: With the NDA getting a comfortable majority in the Bihar assembly, all eyes are now on the formation of the next government which will likely be sworn in soon after the Deepavali festivities get over later this week, informed sources said here on Wednesday.
They said JD(U) president Nitish Kumar will be back as the Chief Minister for yet another term in office. Kumar, who looks on course to becoming the longest serving Chief Minister of the State during his new term, was expected to take oath on or after Monday next week before which he will send his resignation to the governor since his current tenure expires at the end of November. The record is currently held by the state’s first Chief Minister Srikrishna Sinha who was in office for 17 years and 52 days. Kumar has so far helmed the state for 14 years and 82 days.
Upon being administered the oath of office, Kumar will also hold the distinction of having been sworn in seven times as Chief Minister in two decades. He first took oath as Chief Minister in 2000 when the State threw up a hung assembly but resigned a few days later for want of adequate number of MLAs backing him. The JD(U) chief is expected to get full backing of all constituents of the NDA, including the BJP, which has outperformed his party in the assembly elections.
Speculations about the BJP reneging on its promise of backing Kumar as the CM were put paid to at a late night press conference on Tuesday. Kumar himself dropped ample hints. “The people are our lord. I salute them for the support which enabled the NDA to get a majority. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the cooperation I have been receiving,” Kumar tweeted.
MUMBAI: Praising RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for giving a “spirited fight” in the Bihar Assembly polls, the Shiv Sena today needled the BJP saying that if Nitish Kumar retains the post of Chief Minister despite the JD(U) winning fewer seats, the credit should go to the Shiv Sena.
“It said that the BJP had promised that Nitish Kumar would be the next Chief Minister of Bihar even if his party gets less number of seats.
The BJP had given a similar promise to the Shiv Sena during the 2019 Maharashra Assembly polls, but as that word was not kept, it led to a political drama in the state, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party claimed.
An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said that JD(U) could not win even win 50 seats in the Bihar elections, while the BJP got over 70 seats.
“BJP leader Amit Shah had announced that Nitish Kumar would become the Chief Minister even if his party gets less number of seats. But a similar assurance was given to the Shiv Sena during the 2019 Assembly polls in Maharashtra, which was not honoured and the state witnessed a political ‘Mahabharat’,” it claimed.
“If Nitish Kumar becomes the Chief Minister despite winning less number seats, its credit should go to the Shiv Sena,” it added.
The Shiv Sena and the BJP had contested the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections together, but the alliance fell apart after results following differences over sharing the Chief Ministerial post.