Bihar govt formation highlights: Nitish Kumar, NDA leaders review preparations for oath ceremony

Bihar govt formation LIVE: BJP leader Nitin Nabin called the upcoming swearing-in ceremony a "new flight of development in Bihar".

"So, preparations are being made to see how we can have a celebratory environment for the same. CMs from various states are coming here. PM, HM, and several other Union Ministers are coming. So, the entire NDA family, as well," Nabin told reporters.

"Bihar will celebrate this like a festival...CM himself is reviewing everything," he added.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: The Congress on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to 43 leaders, including former ministers, accusing them of anti-party activities during the Bihar assembly elections. According to a release issued by the Congress, its Disciplinary Committee has sent the show-cause notices to the leaders for making statements which deviated from the official line of the party.

Among the 43 are former minister Veena Shahi, AICC member Madhurendra Kumar Singh, ex-general secretary of state Congress Kaisar Khan, former MLA Sudhir Kumar, and ex-MLC Ajay Kumar Singh, PTI reported.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Accompanied by deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, several ministers and chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Nitish Kumar on Tuesday took stock of preparations for the swearing in ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, several other union ministers and CMs of NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the programme. A large number of security personnel have been deployed in the state capital and around Gandhi Maidan.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: LJP (RV) leader Arun Bharti said, "For the first time in history, the LJP (RV) is going to form the government with JD(U) in Bihar, it is a moment of pride for us, hence we all want to participate in the process... We have come to see the preparations..."

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Ahead of the government formation in Bihar, JD(U) leaders Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here at his residence.

Sources told PTI that the meeting discussed the NDA's preparations for government formation in Bihar, including the allocation of ministerial portfolios to NDA constituents in the new government.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Nitish Kumar on Tuesday took stock of preparations for the oath-taking ceremony of the new government in Bihar, which is scheduled to take place at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on November 20.

Kumar, who is set to take oath for a record 10th time, was accompanied by Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, among others.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised questions over the SIR process at a meeting with key AICC office-bearers of 12 states and Union Territories where the revision of electoral rolls is underway, and said the party must fight this politically, organisationally and legally, sources said.

During the meeting, Gandhi also said it is the Election Commission's duty to provide clean electoral rolls but instead, it was trying to put the onus on political parties, according to the sources.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: The BJP on Tuesday appointed Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Bihar. Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and former Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have been made co-observers.

"The Parliamentary Board of the Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, as the central observer for the election of the Leader of the Legislature Party in Bihar," party national general secretary Arun Singh said in a statement.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: The BJP on Tuesday appointed Keshav Prasad Maurya, the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, as the central observer for the election of the leader of the party’s legislative group. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have been appointed as central co-observers.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Intense lobbying is still on among NDA partners to finalise the allocation of cabinet berths and a consensus over the post of assembly speaker ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the new Bihar government, scheduled to take place here on November 20.

Sources told PTI on Tuesday said efforts are on to evolve a consensus among NDA partners over the post of assembly speaker as both the BJP and the JD(U) are staking their claim to the post.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the government formation and swearing-in ceremony of the chief minister in Bihar, which is expected to be held on Thursday November 20). Apart from the prime minister, several top NDA leaders, including union ministers Shah, Rajnath Singh and Dharmendra Pradhan, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, as per PTI.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Ahead of the government formation in Bihar, JD (U) leaders Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi at his residence. BJP president J P Nadda was present at the closed-door meeting, which lasted about three hours.

Sources said the meeting discussed the NDA's preparations for government formation in Bihar, including the allocation of ministerial portfolios to NDA constituents in the new government and the candidate for the Assembly Speaker's post.(PTI)

Bihar govt formation LIVE: The Election Commission on Tuesday dismissed senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh's allegation that each EVM used in the Bihar polls had 25,000 votes even before polling, saying it is "technically impossible" and "procedurally false".

The allegation levelled by Jagdanand Singh that every EVM contained "25,000 pre-loaded votes" is technically impossible, procedurally false, and contradicted by statutory records signed by RJD's own election and polling agents, the EC said in a statement.

"EVMs have no WiFi, Bluetooth, internet, or any external connectivity, making remote or digital tampering impossible. Before polling, each EVM displays '0' votes for every candidate, and a mandatory mock poll is conducted in the presence of all political party agents, after which all mock votes are cleared and a mock poll certificate is jointly signed," the EC statement added. (PTI)

Bihar govt formation LIVE :Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi asserted that the opposition should accept that Nitish Kumar will once again become Chief Minister and stop blaming Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) among other excuses to cover their defeat.

"Nitish Kumar will be the Chief Minister (of Bihar)... They (opposition) should accept the mandate. They (opposition leaders) do not talk about their mistakes. They blame EVMs and other things... This is all excuses. It has no meaning..." he said.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party believes the BJP is attempting to weaponise the SIR process for ‘Vote Chori’ and that ECI's conduct during SIR has been “disappointing”.

“At a time when public confidence in democratic institutions is already strained, the Election Commission’s conduct during the SIR process has been deeply disappointing. It must immediately demonstrate that it is not operating under the BJP’s shadow and it remembers its Constitutional oath and allegiance to the people of India, not to any ruling party. We firmly believe that the BJP is attempting to weaponise the SIR process for Vote Chori. And if the EC chooses to look the other way, that failure is not just administrative - it becomes a complicity of silence. Our workers, BLOs, and District/City/Block Presidents will therefore remain relentlessly vigilant. We will expose every attempt, however subtle, to delete genuine voters or insert bogus ones. The Congress Party will not allow Democratic safeguards to be eroded by partisan misuse of institutions,” he wrote on X.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Upping the ante over its 'vote chori' pitch, the Congress on Tuesday said the Election Commission's conduct during the SIR process has been "deeply disappointing" and demanded that the poll body must immediately demonstrate that it is not operating under the BJP’s shadow.

Congress president Mallikrjun Kharge also alleged that the BJP is attempting to weaponise the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls process for "vote chori", as he chaired a meeting with key office bearers of 12 states and Union territories where the SIR is underway.

"We held a comprehensive strategy review with AICC general secretaries, AICC in-charges, PCCs, CLPs, and AICC secretaries from the states/UTs where the SIR process is underway. The Congress Party is unequivocally committed to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral rolls," Kharge said on X after he chaired the meeting. (PTI)

Bihar govt formation LIVE: When asked whether he will resign and leave politics after his Jan Suraaj party failed to bag even a single seat in 2025 Bihar assembly polls, party founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday countered asking what position he holds to step down from.

“What position am I holding that I should resign?” said Prashant Kishore, leaving the crowd gathered for his press briefing in splits, when questioned by a reporter in Patna about whether he will retire now that Nitish Kumar's Janta Dal (United) won 85 seats as opposed to less than 25 that he had predicted.

Before Bihar elections, Prashant Kishor had said that if JD(U) gets more than 25 seats, he will retire, according to several reports.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: BJP leader Lakhendra Paswan, after NDA's thumping victory in Bihar assembly polls, said, "I express my gratitude for the overwhelming majority. We were contesting the elections on the basis of development. Under the guidance of PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar, the NDA government in Bihar has brought development. This is on the basis of development only; today, the people have given a mandate in Bihar with an overwhelming majority, and the NDA government is going to be formed."

Bihar govt formation LIVE: A picture of cauliflowers in the ground and a four-word caption referencing Bihar - a recent tweet by BJP leader and Assam cabinet minister Ashok Singhal has sparked a massive controversy online. Bihar approves Gobi farming ✅,” Ashok Singhal wrote in an X post with an image of a cauliflower farm, on Friday afternoon.

Criticising the post, Opposition leaders alleged that it tried to reference the 1989 Bhagalpur communal riots, also called the "cauliflower burial case", that led to the killing of 116 people at Logain village in Bihar.

Over 110 Muslims were allegedly killed in Logain, a village in Bhagalpur district’s Goradih block, and cauliflower saplings were planted on the sites where the bodies were buried. Read more.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: People vote for parties that fulfil their aspirations and the recent Bihar assembly polls have shown that when governments prioritise development, voters put their faith in them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

He said the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal had “betrayed” the people. Instead of focusing on development, he said, it opted for the misrule of “Jungle Raj", using a term used by critics for the law and order record of the previous RJD-led government.

“...Another thing that stood out was that nobody can overlook the increasing participation of people in democracy. There was the highest voter turnout in the history of elections in Bihar. Women turnout was about 9% more than the male turnout. This also is the victory of democracy,” the PM said.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Prashant Kishor said that while he does not do politics, he will not stop speaking for the people of Bihar.

"What position am I holding that I should resign? I had said that if (JDU) gets more than 25 seats, I will retire. From which position should I resign? I did not say that I will leave Bihar. I have left politics. I do not do politics, but I did not say that I will stop speaking for the people of Bihar..." he said.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: After an embarassing defeat for the Jan Suraaj party in Bihar assembly elections 2025, its co-founder Prashant Kishor has taken responsibility for the loss and stated he will now repent for his failure.

Speaking to supporters in his first remarks since Jan Suraaj bagged no seats in the Bihar elections, Kishor stated he will take on a maun vrat (vow of silence) for one day.

“I will work twice as hard as you've seen me work over the past three years and put in all my energy. There's no question of backing down. There's no turning back until I fulfil my resolve to make Bihar better,” Kishor said.

“I will observe a day-long silent fast at the Gandhi Bhitiharwa Ashram on November 20th... We may have made mistakes, but we have not committed any crime,” the JSP founder said, adding that the party conducted its campaigning without spreading caste-based, religion-based hate.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the outcome of the Bihar polls, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance win a sweeping mandate, was a historic result.

He said the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal had “betrayed” the people. Instead of focusing on development, he said, it opted for the misrule of “Jungle Raj, using a term used by critics for the law and order record of the previous RJD-led government.

Bihar govt formation LIVE: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, after the party did not win even a single seat in Bihar assembly polls, said, “There might have been mistakes on our part, but we haven’t committed any crime - not getting votes is not a crime. We did not do caste politics or indulge in Hindu-Muslim narratives. We did not spread poison in society. We did not commit the crime of buying votes from poor and innocent people. Those who have done that will have to face the consequences of their actions. Even though Abhimanyu was killed, that did not win them the Mahabharat - it was won by those on the just side. The victory will be ours.”