PATNA: After walking out of the NDA, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met Governor Phagu Chauhan and staked his claim to form a government with the RJD-led grand alliance (GA). Nitish’s move ignited a rally of charges and counter-allegations between the now-separated allies.
Talking to the media soon after meeting the governor, Nitish said, “We have the support of 165 MLAs. All of them have signed the letter of support.” Now, the governor will decide when the new government will be formed, he added.
Referring to his decision to snap ties with the BJP, Nitish said, “I was silent but party leaders started saying that we should not continue with the NDA. I accepted their demand.” Nitish said he was reluctant to become the chief minister after the last Assembly election held in 2020 but BJP insisted on it.
“The atmosphere, however, started getting vitiated. But now people of the state do not need to worry,” he remarked.
When asked about the talks of his ambition to become the prime minister, Nitish said, “There is no meaning in it. I will continue to serve the people of Bihar with the support of my seven allies. We will work for the development of the state.”
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said after JD-U’s withdrawal from the NDA, the BJP would not have any ally left in the country’s Hindi heartland. “BJP always finishes its allies,” Tejashwi remarked, giving instances of Punjab and Maharashtra.
Tejashwi also attacked BJP president JP Nadda for his statement that regional parties without any ideological base would be finished in future. “Nadda made the remark in the land of democracy, and it is against the spirit of democracy,” he said.
Intensifying his attack on BJP, Tejashwi said, “BJP intimidates those who fear and purchases those who are saleable.”
He also hailed Nitish for walking out from the NDA, saying it was in the interest of the nation as well as the state. Stung by Nitish’s decision, BJP leaders lost no time in targeting their recent ally. Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, said that the new grand alliance government symbolised “corruption and terror”.
Rai claimed that Nitish was not even ready to listen to the two deputy chief ministers and other ministers from BJP. “Nitish also created hurdles in the execution of development works related to departments headed by BJP ministers,” he alleged.
Earlier in the day, Nitish was declared as the leader of the grand alliance at the official residence of former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi. Later, Nitish said, “Let us leave behind past issues, and make a new beginning.” He also expressed his regret over leaving the RJD-led grand alliance in 2017.
Before the grand alliance meeting, he held a meeting with JD-U MPs, MLAs and MLCs and sought their opinion on what the party should do Nitish’s exit from the NDA in Bihar has left the BJP on its own in the state, and it will have to build on its strengths to counter the mighty grand alliance.
Senior BJP leader and a minister in the former NDA government, Nitin Navin, gave an idea of his party’s mood when he said the BJP would go to the people’s court to explain how Nitish had disrespected the mandate and aligned with the very forces that he fought.
Echoing similar views, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party would take the issue to the people. He alleged that Nitish would again push the state into anarchy.
Nitish to be CM for 8th time, Tejashwi set to become deputy CM
PATNA: Nitish Kumar will take the oath as the Bihar Chief Minister for the eighth time on Wednesday. The swearing-in ceremony for the chief minister and deputy chief minister will be held at around 2 pm at Raj Bhavan here, with Tejashwi Prasad Yadav taking the oath as the deputy chief minister of the RJD-led Grand Alliance (GA) government.
Earlier in the day, Nitish was unanimously elected as leader of the alliance, prompting him to meet governor Phagu Chauhan and staking claim to form the government with the seven partners in GA. He submitted a letter of support of 164 MLAs of the seven parties and one Independent MLA. The strength of the state assembly is 243 and the magic figure is 122.
Sources said that Nitish Kumar’s JD-U and Tejashwi’s RJD are likely to get 14 ministerial berths each. The Congress, which is also a part of the GA, will get three ministerial berths in Nitish Kumar’s new Cabinet.
According to sources, the formula chalked out earlier gives the Congress three ministerial berths along with the post of the Speaker, or four Cabinet berths. CPI-ML, which has already extended its support to Nitish, has decided not to join the Cabinet.
Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, will also be adjusted in the council of ministers. Manjhi had earlier told the media that he was fully standing in support of Nitish Kumar.
“Even when we were a part of the NDA government, we had said time and again that we are with Nitish Kumar,” Manjhi said.