BJP picks Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Sinha as leaders; Nitish Kumar to take oath Nov 20 as Chirag Paswan's party reportedly demands Deputy CM post. Photo: ANI.
The BJP on Wednesday elected Samrat Choudhary as the leader of its legislature party in Bihar, while Vijay Kumar Sinha was chosen as the deputy leader.
“I announce the names of Samrat Choudhary as the leader of the BJP legislature party and Vijay Kumar Sinha as the deputy leader,” BJP’s Central Observer for Bihar, K P Maurya, said while making the formal declaration.
Nitish Kumar is set to be sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for the tenth time on Thursday. According to reports, the oath-taking ceremony will take place at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on November 20.
He was elected as the leader of the JD(U) legislative party earlier in the day and later endorsed as the head of the NDA during a meeting of representatives from the alliance’s five constituent parties in Patna.
As the BJP and JD(U) announced their legislative party leaders, one noticeable absence was Union Minister Chirag Paswan and his party, the LJP (Ram Vilas). According to reports, both the BJP and JD(U) are resisting LJP(RV)’s demand for a Deputy Chief Minister position in the new government, which will take oath on Thursday.
Reports claim that leaders of the two key NDA partners held extensive discussions on Tuesday, amid indications that the BJP may retain the crucial Speaker’s post.
There is chatter within political circles that the JD(U) is also eyeing the Speaker’s chair.
Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV), with its 19 MLAs and significant Dalit vote base, is reportedly pressing for a Deputy Chief Minister role.
The name of Arun Bharti, Lok Sabha MP from Jamui and Paswan’s brother-in-law, has been circulating as the party’s preferred candidate for the post.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J. P. Nadda held discussions with JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh. With the JD(U)’s improved tally and the entry of two new partners, LJP (RV) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, the composition of the new cabinet is expected to shift from the previous structure.
According to reports, the LJP (RV) may be allotted three cabinet berths, while HAM-S and the RLM are likely to get one each. Up to 16 BJP ministers and 14 from JD(U), along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, are expected to take oath on November 20.
The new cabinet may feature around 15 BJP ministers, with the party emerging as the single-largest bloc with 89 seats. JD(U) is likely to get 14 positions, followed by three for LJP (RV) and one each for HAM and RLM.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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