Nitish Kumar resigns, set to take oath as Bihar CM for tenth time on 20 November

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday. The Governor accepted the resignation and requested him to continue as chief minister until a new government is formed.

Nitish Kumar also handed over a letter recommending the dissolution of the current Legislative Assembly with effect from 19 November. The tenure of the existing Assembly ends on 22 November.

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Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Minister Vijay Choudhary were present with the chief minister when he met the Governor.

In the recently-concluded Bihar Assembly elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, secured a sweeping majority. In the 243-member House, the NDA won more than 200 seats, with the BJP securing the highest number, 89 seats, while the JD(U) won 85.

Three days after the election results were announced, Nitish Kumar convened a Cabinet meeting on Monday at the Secretariat’s Cabinet Hall. In the meeting, a resolution to dissolve the existing Assembly was approved.

Following the meeting, Minister Vijay Choudhary said the Cabinet passed three resolutions. The first was to recommend the dissolution of the Assembly from 19 November. The second was aimed at expressing appreciation for the services of Bihar’s officers and employees, including the chief secretary, for their work under the current government. The third resolution congratulated Nitish Kumar for the NDA’s emphatic victory in the general elections under his leadership.

Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaisawal said the newly-elected MLAs of the BJP will meet at the party’s state headquarters in Patna on Tuesday to elect the BJP Legislative Party leader.

This will be followed by a joint meeting of the newly-elected MLAs of all NDA partners, where Nitish Kumar will be formally elected as the alliance leader.

Nitish Kumar is expected to stake claim to form the new government on 19 November and take oath as the chief minister for the tenth time on 20 November.

Preparations are in full swing at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna, where the JDU leader has taken oath twice before. Public entry into the ground has been restricted until 20 November due to security and logistical arrangements.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the ceremony along with senior Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.