The NDA won 125 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly against 110 clinched by the opposition Grand Alliance. The JD(U)'s tally of 43 this time, down from 71, is its worst performance since the 2005 Assembly polls.
JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar was unanimously elected as the leader of the NDA legislature party at a meeting in Patna and is set to return for a consecutive fourth term as chief minister of Bihar. BJP’s Sushil Modi will remain the deputy Chief Minister. The NDA will go to Governor Phagu Chauhan to stake claim to form the government.
The meeting was attended by NDA leaders of four constituent parties — JD(U), BJP, HAM(S) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). The meeting took place two days after Nitish handed over the resignation of his ministry to the Governor and recommendation to dissolve the state assembly.
Hours before the NDA meet, newly elected BJP legislators had a meeting with state party chief Sanjay Jaiswal in Patna.
Taking a swipe at Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Manoj Jha said the people’s mandate was against him. “How can someone become Chief Minister after getting 40 seats? People’s mandate is against him, he is decimated and should decide on it. Bihar will find its alternative, which will be spontaneous. It might take a week, ten days, or a month but it will happen,” ANI quoted Jha as saying.
The NDA won 125 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly against 110 clinched by the opposition Grand Alliance. Even though BJP emerged as the dominant partner in the NDA in Bihar, winning 74 seats to ally JD(U)’s 43, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put to rest all speculation over who would lead the government, saying “every BJP and NDA worker will ensure that our pledge for the state is fulfilled under the leadership of Nitish Kumar”.
The JD(U)’s tally of 43 this time, down from 71, is its worst performance since the 2005 Assembly polls. In his first interaction with the media after the election results, Kumar said he never staked claim on the CM’s post. “I have made no claim on the CM chair, the decision will be taken by NDA. It has not been decided yet when the oath taking ceremony will be held, whether after Diwali or Chhath,” he had said.
Earlier, the Indian Express had learnt that Nitish expressed his “unwillingness” to continue citing the steep slide in JD(U)’s tally. However, senior BJP leaders have persuaded him to continue as CM and gave him an assurance that he would have “full independence as before” in running the government.
Sources said Nitish was “very upset” at the manner in which Chirag Paswan and his LJP had hurt the JD(U). A senior BJP leader said, “He was deeply disturbed and very upset that Chirag had spoiled JD(U)’s chances in at least 25-30 seats. We persuaded him to remain the CM even though BJP is now a senior partner in the alliance.”
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