Patna: The term of the 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly ends today, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar scheduled to tender his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. The dissolution of the Assembly will formally pave the way for the formation of a new government, which is expected to take shape by this evening. The swearing-in ceremony has been scheduled for November 20 at Gandhi Maidan.
A series of crucial political meetings by the JD(U), BJP and the NDA have been lined up today. In these meetings, MLAs from the alliance partners will elect their legislative party leader before meeting the Governor to stake claim to form the new government. Discussions within the NDA are also underway regarding the proposed “three Deputy CMs” formula.
BJP, JD(U) Hold Separate Meetings From 10 am
The BJP Legislative Party meeting will begin at 10 am at the party office on Veerchandra Patel Marg. The BJP, the largest NDA constituent with 89 MLAs, will finalise the name of its legislative party leader. Senior leaders including Samrat Chaudhary, Vijay Sinha, Dilip Jaiswal and Vinod Tawde will be in attendance.
The JD(U), which has won 85 MLAs, will hold its legislative party meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence after 10 am. Nitish Kumar will be present along with party leaders and Union Ministers Lallan Singh, Sanjay Jha and Vijay Chaudhary. The meeting is expected to endorse the chosen legislative leader.
NDA Legislative Party to Finalise CM Face
After both BJP and JD(U) complete their internal discussions, the NDA Legislative Party will convene. All 202 MLAs from the BJP, JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM and RLM will participate. Senior leaders Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, Santosh Suman, Upendra Kushwaha, Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha will attend.
The NDA is set to elect Nitish Kumar as its legislative party leader. Once elected, he will resign from his current post and then formally stake claim to form the new government. The exercise is expected to be completed by evening.
On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar visited Gandhi Maidan to inspect the preparations for Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony.
Amit Shah to Arrive in Patna Today
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Patna today and is scheduled to meet Nitish Kumar at the Chief Minister’s residence. The two leaders will hold discussions on government formation, portfolios and coordination within the NDA.
On Tuesday, the BJP appointed Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Keshav Prasad Maurya as observers for Bihar. A two-hour meeting was also held at Amit Shah’s Delhi residence with JD(U) leaders Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh to discuss the Deputy CM structure, cabinet berths and the Speaker’s post.
Final Cabinet Meeting Held on November 17
The last cabinet meeting of the current government took place on November 17, where three resolutions were passed, including a recommendation to dissolve the Bihar Legislative Assembly from November 19. Nitish Kumar subsequently communicated the cabinet’s decision to the Governor.
Massive Swearing-In Ceremony Planned for November 20
Nitish Kumar will take oath as Chief Minister once again on November 20 at Gandhi Maidan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present.
Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from BJP-governed states—including Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma and Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis—are also expected to attend.
Several distinguished guests, including Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardees, scientists, authors, and prominent personalities, have been invited.
