Endorsed as the leader of the Mahagathbandhan, Nitish Kumar will take oath as the Chief Minister on November 20 at 2 pm. Gandhi Maidan has been selected as the venue for this event where over two lakh people are expected to gather from different parts of the State to watch the ceremony.
Nitish on Saturday evening called on Governor Ramnath Kovind and staked the claim for the Government formation. Accompanied by RJD supremo lalu Prasad, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and Congress leader C P Joshi, he submitted his a letter of support from 178 legislators of JD(U), RJD and Congress. The Governor formally invited him to form the Government.
Nitish, who in the morning had tendered resignation of his ministry to the Governor, did not elaborate how many Ministers would be sworn in on Friday with him but he said that his Cabinet would have Ministers from all the three parties which had formed a Mahagathbandhan before the Assembly polls. But, he also stated that the strength of the Cabinet would be as per the constitutional restrictions and “all MlAs cannot be made Ministers.”
In an indirect reference to the post poll violence in some parts of the State, Nitish said the MlAs have been elected by the people and they should concentrate on working for them. “The rule of law will be strictly enforced and there will be no compromise on this at any cost,” he told the legislators of the three parties and reiterated to implement his seven pledges he made during the elections.
He also told them that despite provocations by the opposition parties during elections he concentrated on campaign and had control on his language and tone. “You too should exercise restrain,” he said.
Earlier Nitish was elected leader of the Mahagathbandhan at a joint meeting of the leaders and legislators of JD(U), RJD and Congress held at the Assembly Annexe building in the afternoon. Nitish Kumar’s name was proposed by RJD leader and former CM Rabri Devi and seconded by Congress leader CP Joshi amid applause. lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav were also present at the meeting.
After the meeting both Nitish and lalu in one car proceeded to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim for the Government formation. They called on Governor Ramnath Kovind and submitted him the lists of the legislators of the three parties supporting Nitish.
Earlier in the morning Nitish presided over the last Cabinet meeting of the outgoing Government which recommended the dissolution of the 15th Assembly. Nitish called on the governor and apprised him of the Cabinet decision and also submitted resignation of his ministry. Accepting the resignation, the Governor asked him to continue in the office as caretaker till the new Government under him takes oath.
Meanwhile, the MlAs of RJD and Congress held their meetings separately but it was not disclosed what transpired there. The two parties have not decided or disclosed who would be the leader of the two legislature parties. On Friday, the RJD legislature party had authorised lalu to take a call on who would be the leader. The announcement of the Congress legislature party is likely to be made in Delhi as the BPCC has authorized AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to decide about the leadership and joining the Nitish Government.