PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday left for New Delhi to take oath as a member of Rajya Sabha on April 10.
Nitish is expected to chair a meeting of senior JD(U) leaders in Delhi before taking oath as a Rajya Sabha member to discuss the party’s future strategy after formation of a new government. On the other hand, the BJP has also called for a meeting of its core members in Delhi, held under the chairmanship of national party president Nitin Nabin, on Friday to discuss who will be the state’s next chief minister.
Confirming the schedule, senior JD (U) leader and Bihar parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said that the process for the formation of new NDA government in Bihar would start once Nitish resigned from his CM post.
Bihar BJP president Sanjay Sarogi, deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, regional organisation secretary Nagendra Ji, and state organisation secretary Bhiku Bhai Dalsania are also expected to attend the meeting. Bihar Industries Minister Dilip Jaiswal and Health Minister Mangal Pandey are also likely to attend the meeting.
Sources claimed that the name of the new chief minister would be sought from the party’s state core committee.
A senior BJP leader on condition of anonymity said that the selection of the new chief minister will have a lasting impact on contemporary and long-term politics.
“Picking up a suitable leader to become chief minister is going to be a tough decision keeping Nitish’s stature and clean image as a politician,” the leader said.
Meanwhile, senior JD (U) leader and former minister Neeraj Kumar put up a poster featuring Nitish and his son, Nishant Kumar, at his residence in Patna. The poster reads, “Strong legacy, powerful future – Nishant Kumar is ready”.
The poster is seen as yet another attempt by JD (U) to establish Nishant firmly among the party`s rank and file when Nitish is moving to Rajya Sabha.
Earlier, state minister Shravan Kumar, considered close to Nitish, said that Nitish may continue to serve as CM for six months even after being elected to Rajya Sabha.
Nitish was elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar on March 16. He had resigned from membership of Bihar legislative council on March 30.
Nitish will take oath on Friday along with union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Ramnath Thakur. On the other hand, newly elected BJP’s Rajya Sabha members Nitin Nabin, Shivesh Ram and RLM’s Upendra Kushwaha will take on April 16, coinciding with a special session of the Parliament.