Bihar NDA Government Formation: Nitish Kumar to Continue as Chief Minister with New Cabinet Formula

Nitish Kumar will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar, sources have indicated, with the formation of the new state government expected in another three days after the cabinet formula was finalised at a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The swearing-in ceremony of the Bihar NDA government is likely to take place either on Wednesday or Thursday, sources revealed, with the final date contingent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's availability.

The NDA secured a commanding victory in the Bihar elections, with both the JDU and BJP performing significantly better than their 2020 results. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats, closely followed by JDU with 85 seats. Smaller coalition partners including LJP(RV), HAM, and RLM also delivered strong performances.

Government Formation

The government formation process accelerates today with the issuance of notification for constituting the 18th Bihar Assembly. The Election Commission will provide a briefing to Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan regarding the final results, after which the Model Code of Conduct will be lifted.

Nitish Kumar has scheduled a cabinet meeting for tomorrow. The dissolution of the outgoing 17th Assembly is expected to be approved during this meeting. Following the passage of this resolution, Kumar will tender his resignation to Governor Khan, paving the way for the next phase of government formation.

Subsequently, the NDA's constituent parties will conduct their legislature party meetings to elect the alliance's leader before staking claim to form the new government.

Oath Ceremony

The November 19 or 20 date for the swearing-in ceremony will be confirmed once the prime minister's schedule is finalized. Preparations are already in progress at Patna's Gandhi Maidan for what is anticipated to be a significant show of strength by the NDA, with an extensive array of leaders expected to attend Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony for a record 10th time.

Beyond PM Modi, numerous Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, and Deputy Chief Ministers from NDA-governed states, along with senior leaders across the alliance are expected to participate in the ceremony. The NDA is planning an impressive display of unity and political influence ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections.

The Cabinet Formula

The formula for cabinet formation was finalized during a meeting with Amit Shah in Delhi yesterday, sources indicated. It was also decided that Nitish Kumar would continue as Chief Minister despite initial reluctance within the BJP to endorse him as their leader.

The BJP is expected to have the majority share in the cabinet, followed by the JDU, with smaller allies also being accommodated in the ministerial plan. Sources revealed that the NDA followed a 'one minister for every six MLAs' formula when determining the cabinet composition.

According to sources, the BJP is likely to receive 15 or 16 ministerial positions while the JDU will get 14. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), headed by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, is expected to secure three positions. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) may each receive one cabinet berth.