The NDA announced Nitish Kumar as its top cabinet candidate ahead of the election (File)
New Delhi:
National Democratic Alliance partners will meet on Sunday to decide who will be Bihar’s next chief minister, Janata Dal United chief Nitish Kumar said on Friday.
“The party meeting of the legislature will take place on Sunday, November 15 at 12:30 p.m. Things will be discussed in detail and all decisions will be made at that time. What is decided will be informed to you after this meeting,” Mr. Kumar to reporters. .
In the recently concluded elections in Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JDU only managed to win 43 seats, conceding Principal Partner status to the BJP, which won 74. The NDA won 125 seats, three more as the majority of the 243 Assembly members of Bihar.
The RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, 31, became the largest party with 75 seats. The opposition alliance won 110 seats.
On Thursday, Mr Kumar said the decision on the next chief minister would be made by the alliance, saying the issue was still under discussion despite assurances he would retain the post.
The NDA had announced Nitish Kumar as its top cabinet candidate ahead of the election. However, critics say the BJP tacitly backed ally-turned-rival Chirag Paswan – who fielded candidates against Mr Kumar’s party but spared the BJP – to downsize within the alliance.
Mr. Paswan’s party was only able to win one seat in the election, but with over 5% of the vote, it seriously damaged Mr. Kumar’s party.
The BJP, which denied the accusation, said the election was conducted with Mr Kumar as the alliance’s main ministerial face and that he would retain his post.
On Thursday, Tejashwi Yadav took a hit on Mr Kumar, claiming his party was the winner in the election because Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not stop the RJD from becoming the biggest party.
“See where the glow of Nitish Kumar has gone. He has been pushed to the third position. It is a mandate for change. Nitish Kumar is sitting in the chair of the Chief Minister, but we are in the hearts of the people,” did he declare.
