Bihar Politics Highlights: Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM for ninth time, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha his deputies

JD(U) leader KC Tyagi says, “A section of the Congress leadership wants to hijack the leadership of the INDIA bloc. On December 19, during a meeting at Ashoka Hotel, Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was proposed to be the lead INDIA bloc via a conspiracy. However, in the earlier meeting, it was decided that the INDIA bloc will work without a face.”

“Congress party is going through a survival mode. They didn’t perform well in the last two Lok Sabha elections. The Congress wants to finish the regional parties, and they have worked systematically to push the seat-sharing arrangements for a long time,” he adds.

Banner featuring Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Patna, Bihar. Nitish Kumar has resigned as the CM of the state and has submitted his resignation to the Governor.

On Nitish Kumar’s exit from INDIA bloc, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, “If the main man behind Opposition bloc INDIA is saying so, there is no future for the INDIA bloc. BJP will secure a historic win in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and all 40 seats in Bihar will be won by the BJP.”

JD(U) President and acting Bihar CM Nitish Kumar arrives at Raj Bhavan. He has submitted BJP‘s letter of support to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, which has been accepted.

The BJP is reported to have picked Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha as its choice as Deputy CMs. While Choudhary, the former Bihar BJP chief hails from the Koeri community, Sinha is a Bhumihar by caste. Nitish Kumar, on the other hand, hails from the Kurmi community. Koeris and Krmis, an influential vote bank in the state, are also referred to as the “Luv-Kush” bloc.

NDA leaders including those from the BJP, JD(U), HAM and LJP will meet at Nitish Kumar’s residence in a short while from now. Following letters of support from NDA allies, a letter to stake claim to form a new government in the state will be sent to the Governor who may then invite Nitish to form another government in the state.

The Bihar BJP legislature party on Sunday approved a proposal to support JD(U) and form a government under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. At the meeting, BJP’s Bihar unit president Samrat Choudhary was elected as the legislature party leader and Vijay Sinha as his deputy. It is unclear if either of the two leaders will find space as deputy chief minister.

All Bihar BJP MLAs will now move to Nitish Kumar’s residence in a bus. A meeting of NDA MLAs in the state is expected shortly where Nitish will be elected as the leader.

Senior JD(U) leader and Nitish Kumar’s trusted lieutenant Sanjay Jha arrived at the Bihar BJP‘s office to inform the party of his leader’s resignation as Chief Minister. The BJP leaders are now expected to arrive at Nitish’s residence where the caretaker CM will be elected as the Bihar NDA leader.

The Raj Bhavan in Patna today informed that Nitish Kumar called on the Bihar Governor and submitted his resignation. The Raj Bhavan also posted on X with a photograph of the meeting between the two leaders.

Nitish Kumar today said he has resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar and said that he was hurt by the inaction in the INDIA alliance that he brought together.

Nitish Kumar has resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar. He arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Patna where he submitted his resignation to the Bihar Governor.

Nitish Kumar is set to arrive at the Raj Bhavan in Patna any moment now. He is expected to submit his resignation to the Bihar Governor today.

According to television news reports, Nitish Kumar has announced his decision to resign as the Chief Minister at a meeting of the Bihar JD(U) MLAs. He is expected to meet the Governor at around 11 AM and submit his resignation.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to resign from his post at around 11 AM and may be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of the NDA government by 5 PM today. This will be Nitish Kumar’s ninth term as Bihar CM if these speculations hold true. It is learnt that BJP president JP Nadda is also set to arrive in Patna today where he may be part of the oath ceremony of the new Nitish government.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is chairing a meeting of the party MLAs, is likely to address them after 10.30 AM. According to news agency PTI, Nitish is likely to meet the Governor and submit his resignation.

A meeting of BJP MPs and MLAs in Bihgar is currently underway in Patna. The party is awaiting Nitish Kumar’s next move before articulating its official stand on the political developments in the state.

After having slammed the door on Nitish Kumar following his exit from the NDA in August 2022, the BJP, initially cold to feelers sent by Nitish Kumar, came around to welcoming him back to the NDA fold considering the Lok Sabha elections in the state. The NDA, with the BJP and the JD(U) contesting the 2019 polls in alliance, bagged 39 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state. With an eye on winning all 40 seats this time, the BJP felt that having Nitish back would deprive the Opposition of playing the caste card against it and also throw the INDIA bloc, which Nitish brought to life, in complete disarray.

All eyes are trained on Patna where a crucial meeting of JD(U) MLAs is currently underway at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence. There is immense anticipation over Nitish’s next move amid speculation over whether he would resign from his post and form a new government or continue as CM and sack all RJD ministers from his cabinet.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, who arrived at the party’s office in Patna for a meeting on Sunday, said that “Ache Din” were in store for Bihar soon. The remarks came amid speculation that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was set to rejoin the NDA and form a government in the state.

The legislature party meeting of the JD(U) in Bihar is now underway at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence. The CM is expected to formally announce his next course of action during the meeting and proceed to meet the Governor soon after.

The RJD, the single largest party in Bihar with 79 MLAs, has said that people are watching and will keep a record of the events transpiring in the state’s political arena. Slamming the BJP for cozying up to Nitish Kumar after stating that its doors are shut for him, the party praised the work done by the party under Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership.

Bharatiya Janata Party MPs and MLAs from Bihar are scheduled to meet in the state capital on Sunday. The BJP has chosen to remain tight-lipped about the back-door developments that have transpired with the BJP over the past few days. The party is waiting for Nitish to make the first move before it spells out its official stand on the matter.

Janata Dal (United) legislators have started to arrive at Chief Minister and party president Nitish Kumar’s residence for the legislature party meeting ahead of the party’s anticipated switch to the NDA fold. The JD(U) is believed to have decided to ditch the Mahagathbandhan and form a government again with the BJP‘s support.

The Grand Alliance government in Bihar, formed after Nitish Kumar’s exit from the NDA in August 2019, plunged into crisis amid indications that the CM was exploring an alliance with the BJP again. Unlike previous instances where Nitish has blamed the RJD for his decision, this time he has trained guns at the Congress for his disenchantment with the INDIA bloc. The January 13 meeting where Rahul Gandhi vetoed a proposal to appoint Nitish as the INDIA bloc convener is seen as the tipping point that decided Nitish’s future course of action. Although Nitish had refused the convener’s post as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had already been appointed INDIA bloc president, Rahul’s intervention was viewed by Nitish as an “insult” to him, JD(U) insiders said.

Amid indications that Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) may ally with the BJP again and form a government in the state, BJP MPs and MLAs are set to meet in Patna in a short while from now. It is a wait-and-watch game as the BJP treads carefully with Nitish given his past record.

Bihar BJP MLA Motilal Prasad said that he is not aware of any decision on BJP forming a government with the JD(U) in Bihar. “Anything is possible but no such decision has come before us,” he told ANI.

JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said on Sunday that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should introspect his strategic failures. “Wherever he goes, allies start drifting apart,” the Bihar MLC said.

The Janata Dal (United) legislature party is scheduled to meet in Patna at 10 AM where CM Nitish Kumar is likely to address party leaders. It is expected that Nitish would then proceed to the Raj Bhavan where he will meet the Governor.

The Bihar Assembly has 243 members and the majority mark is 122. The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) has 114 seats, 8 short of a majority. RJD has 79, Congress has 19, CPI(M-L) has 12, and the CPI and CPI(M) have 2 seats each. The NDA, on the other hand, has the BJP with 78 MLAs and the HAM(S) at 4 seats. The induction of the JD(U) with its 45 MLAs would take the NDA’s tally to 125, five more than the majority mark.