Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar will take oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the fourth straight term on Monday afternoon after closely-fought legislative assembly elections in the state. The NDA, which won the election in Bihar with a wafer-thin majority, has met the Governor to stake claim to form government. The BJP’s Tarkishore Prasad, the MLA from Bihar’s Katihar, will replace Sushil Modi as his deputy. In the recently concluded Bihar elections 2020, NDA secured the majority, winning 125 seats in the 243-member Assembly, the BJP was the clear leader in the combine with 74 seats, against the Janata Dal-United’s 43 and eight in the kitty of smaller allies, VIP and HAM. This time Nitish Kumar’s party is in a weaker position in the alliance with BJP winning more seats in the tightly fought Bihar assembly election. Sources have said with BJP having 74 seats compared to JDU’s 43, the party is likely to have two deputy chief ministers. MLAs of smaller allies such as VIP and HAM are also likely to take oath along with Nitish Kumar, said VIP chief Mukesh Sahni. Earlier on Sunday, Nitish met Governor Phagu Chauhan and had staked claimed to form NDA government in Bihar. The swearing-in ceremony will take place around 4-4.30 pm on Monday, November 16. CM and Deputy CM will be administered oath of office at the Raj Bhavan. Around 16 to 17 ministers are expected to be sworn-in along with Nitish in the oath-taking ceremony today. According to sources, there will be seven ministers each from the Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and one each from the Sahani’s VIP and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular.
