Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM, RJD skips ceremony

Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar chief minister for a fourth straight term on Monday at a ceremony in Patna in presence of Union Home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda even as RJD decided to boycott the event. Replacing Sushil Modi, who had been Kumar’s deputy for 15 years, BJP leaders Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi took oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar.

Oath Ceremony:

Kumar, along with a 14-member council of ministers, was administered the oath of office at Raj Bhavan by Governor Phagu Chauhan, a day after the JD(U) chief staked claim for the formation of a new government in the state.

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Among those who took oath, five ministers were from the JD(U) while one each was from Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). JD(U) ministers included old hands like Bijendra Prasad Yadav. Also, Ashok Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary besides new faces Mewa Lal Chaudhary and Sheela Kumari Mandal.

Other than the two Deputy CM designates, those from the BJP included Mangal Pandey, who held the Health portfolio in the previous government, and Amarendra Pratap Singh, Ramprit Paswan, Jibesh Kumar and Ram Surat Rai. HAM MLC Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Jitan Ram Manjhi, also took oath besides Mukesh Sahni, the founder of VIP.

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NDA Won:

In the House of 243, the NDA got 125 seats, with BJP getting 74. Also, JD (U) 43 and allies VIP and HAM(S) four seats each. The JD(U)’s tally of 43 this time, down from 71, is its worst performance since the 2005 Assembly polls. Kumar had on Friday said that he did not wish to stay as chief minister but it is the wish of the BJP.

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