Nitish Kumar to Be Declared NDA Leader as Bihar Govt Formation Accelerates

Patna (The Uttam Hindu): After the NDA’s sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, preparations for forming the new government have intensified. A series of important meetings is underway in Patna. On Wednesday, the BJP and JDU will hold key internal meetings, followed by a joint meeting of the NDA Legislature Party where Nitish Kumar will be officially chosen as the coalition’s leader.

The JDU legislators will meet at Minister Shravan Kumar’s residence at 11 AM, while the BJP will hold its meeting at the party’s state headquarters. After these sessions, all NDA MLAs will gather at the Central Hall of the Assembly. Once elected as leader, Nitish Kumar will visit the Raj Bhavan to formally stake his claim to form the government. On 20 November, he will take oath as Chief Minister for the 10th time a historic milestone in Bihar politics.

A grand ceremony is being planned for the swearing-in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J.P. Nadda, several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of various states, and senior NDA leaders are expected to attend. On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar personally inspected the preparations at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, accompanied by top NDA leaders and senior officials including the Chief Secretary, DGP, District Magistrate, and SSP.

Officials are working at full speed to ensure the event is smooth and impressive. NDA leaders expect nearly three lakh people to attend the ceremony. Opposition leaders may also be invited. BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that since a swearing-in ceremony is an official government event, opposition parties will certainly receive invitations.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the NDA won 202 seats. The BJP secured the highest number with 89 seats, while the JDU became the second-largest party with 85. Among the other allies, LJP (Ram Vilas) won 19 seats, HAM won five, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha secured four seats.