Patna, Jan 28 (UNI) Bihar looks all set for a new political formation, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tendering his resignation on Sunday and is likely to return to the BJP-led NDA, which his party JD(U) had left in an acrimonious manner over 17 months back.
After heading the Grand Alliance government since August 2022, Kumar is likely to take oath again as chief Minister of the NDA government in the evening, JD(U) sources said.
After holding a meeting with legislators of JD(U) at his residence, Kumar went to the Rajbhawan and submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
In the meeting of the JD(U) legislature party, Kumar was authorised to take any decision in the prevailing political scenario.
After Kuma submitted his papers, the Governor requested him to continue as caretaker CM till the formation of the next government.
Kumar, gearing up for another “U’ turn during the day to join hands with the BJP-led alliance, is expected to be unanimously elected leader of the NDA legislature party. He would then stake claim before the Governor to form the next government, which would be of NDA.
Kumar resigned as state Chief Minister on August 9, 2022 and quit the NDA to form the Grand Alliance government with RJD, Congress and the Left parties.
On Sunday, both JD(U) and BJP convened meetings of their respective legislators and other senior leaders to complete formalities for the formation of a Nitish-led NDA government in the state.
The meeting of BJP legislators was convened at the party’s state headquarters here.
Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) convened a meeting of its legislators on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by former Chief Minister and patron of HAM Jeetan Ram Manjhi, in which a decision was taken to extend support to Kumar to form the NDA government. Manjhi said he was solidly in NDA and there was no question of any second thought.
After the meetings of JD(U) and BJP legislature parties, a meeting of the NDA legislature party would be held at 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of the CM.
A source said in the NDA legislature meeting, Kumar would be elected its leader, enabling him to stake claim before the Governor to form the next government in the state.
Kumar, along with senior BJP leaders and HAM patron Manjhi, would meet the Governor to stake claim to form the NDA government. Kumar is expected to take oath as CM for the ninth occasion this evening.
