PATNA, Apr 13 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will preside over his final cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning at the main secretariat in Patna. After the meeting, he is expected to visit Lok Bhawan and submit his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain.
His resignation will pave the way for the formation of a new government led by the BJP, marking the party’s first Chief Minister in Bihar.
Political activity surrounding the formation of the new government has intensified, with all five constituents of the NDA asking their MLAs to remain in Patna. Legislators from BJP, JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM, and RLM will either re-elect or choose their respective legislative party leaders on Tuesday. The NDA legislative party will then collectively elect its leader, who will become the new Chief Minister.
JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of the party’s legislative wing at the Chief Minister’s residence at 2 PM. The BJP has scheduled its MLAs’ meeting at 3 PM, during which union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is expected to announce the name of the BJP legislative party leader, who will eventually take over as Chief Minister.
Following these meetings, the NDA legislative party will convene at 4 PM in the Central Hall of the legislature, where the BJP leader will be formally endorsed as the alliance leader. The chosen leader will then proceed to Lok Bhawan to stake a claim to form the government.
The first NDA government under BJP leadership in Bihar is scheduled to be sworn in on Wednesday.
Amid the ongoing developments, the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has emerged as a key hub of political activity. On Monday, a series of meetings took place there. JD(U) leaders Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh met him, followed by BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi and senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, among others.
The Secretary to the Governor also met Samrat Choudhary to review preparations for the swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhawan.
Senior BJP leaders, including union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Naveen, are expected to attend the ceremony. However, it remains unclear whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present.
It is expected that the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and a few senior ministers will take the oath on Wednesday, while the remaining ministers will be inducted later during a cabinet expansion.
While the date and time of the swearing-in have been finalised, suspense continues over the names of the new Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.
Speculation is rife that Nishant Kumar may not join the government as Deputy Chief Minister. It is believed that Nitish Kumar is keen to avoid any perception that his resignation has paved the way for his son’s elevation.
Meanwhile, Samrat Choudhary has emerged as a central figure in the ongoing political consultations, which is being seen as a sign of his strong prospects in the race for Chief Minister.
However, political observers remain cautious, noting that the BJP could still spring a surprise, as it has done in the past.
(UNI)
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