Nitish to meet NDA legislators after April 10 before resigning as CM

NDA Legislature Party in Bihar will likely hold a meeting between April 11 and 13 in the state capital to decide on the name of the next chief minister

With chief minister Nitish Kumar set to take oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on April 10, the NDA Legislature Party in Bihar will likely hold a meeting between April 11 and 13 in the state capital to decide on the name of the next chief minister.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (HT Photo)

NDA leaders aware of the matter said that legislators have been asked to be in the state capital at a short notice.

“The dates are not yet final but it may happen any day after April 10,” said a JD(U) legislator. The BJP state president, Sanjay Saraogi, denied that any dates have been finalised for the NDA meeting. “No dates have been finalised. There is no development on this count,” he said.

A senior JD(U) leader said that CM Kumar, who would leave for New Delhi on April 9, will return to the state capital on April 10 itself. “On his return, he would interact with legislators and also convene a special cabinet meeting to thank his cabinet colleagues before resigning from the post,” said the JD(U) leader.

Kumar is expected to announce his decision to step down as CM at this meeting. He will then submit his resignation to the Governor after which the process of forming a new government will begin. The NDA Legislature Party will select a new leader. A proposal for formal government formation will be submitted to the Governor.

Govt Formation: Two Theories

As the preparations for the formation of a new NDA government in Bihar have begun, two theories are circulating in the NDA circle. A section of BJP leaders feels that the new government would be formed only after the elections in five states are over. A hint to this came during the address by a top BJP minister in state cabinet during the party’s foundation day function on Monday. He said that the new NDA government under the BJP would definitely be formed but it might take 20-25 days. “Till then CM Kumar would be asked to run the government,” said a BJP leader present at the function.

Party leaders said that some groups have suddenly become active after the names of probable candidates started circulating. Senior BJP leaders, speaking anonymously, said that the party members wanted a veteran leader who had been there during the party’s struggle in Bihar.

One leader who is being seen by many pundits as front-runner to be the successor of Nitish is deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary. However, he faces opposition from a section of BJP leaders. “What places him ahead in race is that he has been credited with change and his relentless campaign for it,” said a BJP leader. Others in the race are Union Minister Nityanand Rai and Vijay Kumar Sinha. “You cannot rule out the surprise element,” said a BJP leader.

Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha tried to downplay the speculations about the next CM. “Bihar has an NDA government and it will continue to have an NDA government. In NDA, there is no elder or younger brother; a brother is a brother,” he said, refusing to getting drawn into the CM race.

Meanwhile, another section of BJP leadership countered the theory and claim that the new government would take oath after April 14.

The state has not had a CM from the BJP despite the NDA being in power for more than two decades.