Bihar is gearing up for a high-profile political event as Nitish Kumar prepares to take oath as Chief Minister once again, after being unanimously chosen as the leader of the Janata Dal (United) Legislature Party. With all major National Democratic Alliance partners firming up their legislative leadership, preparations are in full swing for the grand ceremony.
A number of ministers are expected to be sworn in alongside Kumar on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states are also set to attend the event.
When and where will oath-taking ceremony take place?
Date & Time: Thursday, 20 November, 11:30 AM
Venue: Gandhi Maidan, Patna, the historic public ground that has hosted some of Bihar’s biggest political gatherings. The site is being readied to accommodate a large audience and top political leadership.
Where to watch
The event will be broadcast live on ABP News and streamed on the ABP News YouTube channel. Live coverage and updates will also be available on ABP Live English and Hindi platforms. Additionally, most major news channels and digital media outlets are set to live-stream the ceremony for viewers across the country.
Kumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister for the 10th time, marking another milestone in his decades-long political career. He was elected the JD(U) Legislature Party leader on Wednesday morning and later appointed NDA leader at 3:30 pm. Following the formalities, he submitted his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as head of the outgoing government.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, intense negotiations are underway within the NDA over cabinet portfolios and the crucial position of Assembly Speaker. Both the BJP and JD(U) have shown interest in the role, according to sources quoted by PTI.
The NDA secured a commanding majority, winning 202 out of 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly, BJP took 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5 and RLM 4.
Reacting to the results, Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor alleged that the JD(U)’s strong performance was fuelled by large-scale pre-poll distribution of funds. He claimed that Kumar’s party would have been restricted to around 25 seats had his government not provided ₹10,000 to more than 60,000 beneficiaries in each constituency and promised a ₹2 lakh support scheme for 1.5 crore women across the state.
Kishor accused the NDA government of making electoral commitments worth ₹40,000 crore, and disbursing a significant portion of that amount just ahead of voting.