Bihar: Samrat Choudhary likely to become Chief Minister; PM Modi, Amit Shah to attend swearing-in ceremony
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony in Bihar on April 15, as per sources. The Prime Minister will arrive in Patna on the night of April 14 and is likely to stay overnight in the city. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Raj Bhavan, Lok Bhawan premises in Patna.
Nitish Kumar set to resign after cabinet meeting
As per reports, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to convene a cabinet meeting on April 14 at 11 AM, after which he will tender his resignation to the Governor. This move will formally pave the way for a new NDA-led government in the state. Before this, a meeting of NDA legislators is also scheduled, where the new leader of the legislature party will be elected.
Samrat Choudhary emerges as frontrunner for top post
All eyes are now on senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who is widely seen as the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post. Sources indicate that his elevation is almost final, though an official announcement is still awaited. Hailing from the Koeri caste, an influential OBC group which both the BJP and the main opposition party RJD have been trying to woo with equal intensity, Choudhary was made the state party president in 2023 and became the Deputy CM a year later, when the NDA was back in power following the JD(U) supremo’s return to the coalition.
NDA MLAs have been instructed to remain in Patna for the next two days as crucial meetings take place. During the legislature party meeting, the new leader of the alliance will be formally elected.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan as central observer
The BJP on Sunday appointed Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the central observer to oversee the selection of its legislative party leader in Bihar. This move marks the beginning of the process to form a new government in the state, following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s transition to the Rajya Sabha.
“The Parliamentary Board of the Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, as the Central Observer for the election of the leader of the BJP’s legislative party in Bihar,” BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said in a notification.
