Daijiworld Media Network - Patna

Patna, Nov 19: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar tendered his resignation to governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday, paving the way for the formation of a new NDA government in the state. Arriving at Raj Bhavan with senior NDA leaders — including union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Samrat Choudhary, and Vijay Kumar Sinha — Kumar submitted a list of 202 newly elected MLAs to stake his claim to lead the next government.

Following the submission, the governor formally invited Nitish Kumar to form the new administration.

Earlier in the day, Kumar was unanimously chosen as the leader of the NDA legislative party during a meeting held in the Central Hall of the Bihar Assembly. Before this, JD(U) legislators also re-elected him as their leader. In the BJP camp, Samrat Choudhary was elected legislative party leader, while Vijay Kumar Sinha was named deputy leader. Both are set to take oath as Deputy Chief Ministers.

Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as chief minister on Thursday, November 20, at a grand ceremony scheduled at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan. Around 20 ministers are expected to be inducted in the new cabinet. The program will begin at 1 p.m., with the oath-taking ceremony set for 1:30 p.m., administered by governor Khan.

The event is expected to draw prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several union ministers, and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states. In preparation for the high-profile gathering, strict security and traffic arrangements have been implemented from Patna Airport to Gandhi Maidan.

Notably, Nitish Kumar will be taking oath at Gandhi Maidan for the first time in a decade. His previous swearing-in ceremonies at the venue took place in 2005, 2010, and 2015. In 2020, the event was held at Raj Bhavan due to COVID-19 restrictions.