Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as Bihar chief minister for a record tenth time in a grand ceremony at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan on Thursday, November 20.
The Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) supremo, who has been the CM of Bihar for a majority in the last two decades, will be administered the oath by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, the eighth governor to do so.
The swearing-in of the 74-year-old leader is special for several reasons. His party, which is part of the NDA, has defied anti-incumbency for the fifth term and has emerged stronger, winning 85 seats in the 243-member state assembly.
Follow the latest updates on Bihar government formation
Earlier in the day, Nitish submitted his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as the current term of the Bihar assembly ends on November 22. The resignation paves the way for the 18th assembly, which will be constituted with the swearing-in of the chief minister and the state cabinet ministers.
Now all eyes are on who will be the deputy CM and probable ministers in the next NDA government.
Top points in the Bihar government formation
{{/usCountry}}Now all eyes are on who will be the deputy CM and probable ministers in the next NDA government.
Top points in the Bihar government formation
{{/usCountry}}Date and time of swearing-in ceremony: The swearing in ceremony of the fresh NDA-led government is set to take place at 11 am in Gandhi Maidan on Thursday. Several top faces of the NDA, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and chief minister of NDA-ruled states will be present for the grand ceremony.
Also Read: Nitish Kumar meets Bihar governor, will take oath for 10th time tomorrow morning
Oath ceremony in historic Gandhi Maidan: Patna's Bankipore Maidan, which was renamed after Mahatma Gandhi following his assassination, has a long history linked to India's Independence. Right from hosting I-Day celebrations in 1947 to JP Movement in the 1970s, the historic maidan has seen several oath-taking and key movements. Of the four times Nitish has taken oath since the 2005 polls, three of these ceremonies have been held at Gandhi Maidan. The oval-shaped ground is set to be the site of another historic event, witnessing the state's longest chief minister taking oath for the tenth time.
Cabinet berths and more: Though the NDA constituent parties have maintained silence over the issue of cabinet berths, marathon meetings are being held by parties, including the BJP, over the state cabinet. A meeting was held by Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday, which went on for three hours and was attended by top leaders. Bihar can have a maximum of 36 ministers, including the chief minister. HT earlier reported that both the BJP and the JD(U) are eyeing the portfolio of home, which was traditionally been with the JD(U). The education ministry is also a point of contention, people familiar with the matter said.
Also Read: Prashant Kishor admits ‘mistake’ after Bihar poll loss, regrets not contesting: ‘Played it blind…’
Two deputy CMs or one? The Nitish government previously had worked under two deputies and one deputy. In the outgoing government, Nitish had two deputy CMs- Samrat Choudhury and Vijay Kumar Sinha. During the Mahagathbandhan government, the state only had one deputy: Tejashwi Yadav. It remains to be seen if the next government continues to have two deputies as both Samrat Choudhury and Vijay Kumar Sinha have been re-elected.