Nitish chosen JD(U) legislature leader; BJP keeps Samrat Chaudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha as Bihar deputy CMs

With the new Bihar government set to be formed on Thursday, the JD(U) and BJP held their legislature party meetings on Wednesday, retaining the status quo among their top leaders.JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar has been chosen as the leader of the party’s legislature wing during a meeting of newly elected MLAs in Patna, while the BJP elected Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha as leaders of its legislature party.JD(U) minister Shrawon Kumar said that the decision was taken ahead of a meeting of NDA constituents, where Kumar is also expected to be chosen as the leader of the alliance in the state.Chaudhary and Sinha will also continue as deputy chief ministers, as Kumar is set to take oath as Bihar chief minister for a record tenth time at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on Thursday.”I thank the party leadership and all MLAs who have again given me a chance to lead the party. The BJP has expressed its faith in the BJP and the party will try to meet their expectations,” Chaudhary told reporters.The NDA retained power in the recently concluded assembly elections with a landslide margin, winning 202 of the 243 seats, with the BJP securing 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5 and RLM 4.Earlier, TNIE reported that NDA allies had engaged in hard bargaining over the last few days, seeking plum portfolios in the new Bihar Cabinet. The speaker’s post is expected to stay with the BJP, while Nitish is likely to retain Home Ministry despite the BJP pressing him to part with it.Sources told TNIE that the names of two prominent BJP leaders for the position of Speaker have already been considered, one of whom will be finalised at today’s BJP legislature party meeting in Patna.While earlier it was speculated that NDA ally Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV) might get a deputy CM’s post, the BJP retalined both deputy CM posts.



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