LIVE | ‘Will stay together’: Nitish after taking oath as Bihar CM in NDA fold
Nitish says “things were not working well” for him in the Mahagathbandhan and the INDIA bloc, returns to NDA, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago
JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday (January 28) took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after he and his party left the Mahagathbandhan alliance in the state and the Opposition INDIA alliance at the national level and joined the BJP-led NDA alliance yet again.
He was administered the oath of office by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna.
Along with Kumar, BJP leaders Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary took oath as ministers in the Kumar-led government.
Earlier in the day, Kumar resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, saying “things were not working well” for him in the Mahagathbandhan and the INDIA bloc, and staked claim to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.
The swearing-in ceremony started at 5 pm.
Talking to reporters in Patna after submitting his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Kumar said: “I have submitted my resignation to the Governor. The government that was in place now comes to an end. I have let it go.”
At the state BJP headquarters, the party’s in-charge Vinod Tawde said: “…A proposal was moved to support the JD(U) and form an NDA government, which was unanimously accepted by all MLAs.”
Tawde also said that state BJP president Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha have been named as leader and deputy leader, respectively of the legislature party.
The 72-year-old Kumar indicated that he was not feeling happy with the way things were in the Mahagathbandhan in the state as well as the INDIA bloc that he helped take shape but which failed to adequately recognise his efforts.
“You all know how I came to this alliance and also how I worked to bring together so many parties. But of late things were not working well. It was not going down well with those in my party as well,” said Kumar.
He also made an indirect reference to the deafening silence he had maintained over the political turmoil that had engulfed the state for the past few days.
Kumar resigned after a meeting of the JD(U) legislature party, which authorised him to take any decision about the alliance.
The swearing-in was held in the presence of BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, who arrived in Patna in the afternoon.
Kumar had joined the Mahagathbandhan in August 2022, when he had snapped ties with the BJP accusing it of trying to “split” his JD(U). He formed a new government with a multi-party coalition that included RJD, Congress and three Left parties.
(With agency inputs)
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Live Updates
- 28 Jan 2024 4:20 PM IST
Nitish should be honoured with ‘Girgit Ratna’: Tej Pratap Yadav
Nitish Kumar should be honoured with “Girgit” (Chameleon) Ratna award for frequently changing his political loyalty, RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav said on Sunday.
“Chameleon is infamous for changing its skin ... Paltis Kumar should also be honoured with Chameleon Ratna award for frequently changing his political loyalty…for his speed of colour change,” Yadav posted on X.
Yadav, the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, was minister in the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (DEFCC) in the Mahagathbandhan government.
(With agency inputs)
- 28 Jan 2024 4:13 PM IST
Nitish himself not aware which party he belongs to: JMM
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a member of the opposition INDIA grouping, has hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying “betrayal” was his political character.
The party said the JD(U) chief himself doesn’t know where he belongs.
“Nitish Kumar’s resignation was expected as betrayal has been his political character,” JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told PTI.
Bhattacharya said Kumar wanted to continue as CM and ultimately resorted to joining hands with the NDA.
He said Kumar has already “betrayed” several leaders, including Karpoori Thakur, George Fernandes, Sharad Yadav, and Lalu Prasad, and ultimately the people of Bihar.
Bhattacharya said Kumar was not made the convener of the INDIA bloc due to the lack of trust in him by the opposition grouping.
“Nitish Kumar is himself not aware which party he belongs to. He neither belongs to his party nor to any other,” Bhattacharya said.
“There was no trust in him. So, he was not made the convener (of the INDIA bloc),” he alleged.
Bhattacharya also said that the people of Bihar are “politically aware” and there is “anger” among them. “They will not tolerate such practice (of changing sides) every time,” he said.
(With agency inputs)
