JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar after being chosen as leader of the NDA during a meeting of the MLAs-elect of the alliance partners, in Patna.
Credit: PTI Photo
JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record 10th time at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan on Thursday.
Along with him, 19 Ministers are expected to take oath in a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda and several other top leaders of NDA.
Kumar resigned as the Bihar CM on Wednesday and then staked claim before Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to form the new government.
Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha are expected to take oath as Deputy Chief Ministers from the BJP quota.
Apart from the Cabinet berths for the main NDA constituents, the BJP and the JD(U), the other partners of the alliance are also likely to get one ministerial post for every six MLAs to ensure a balanced representation.
One ministerial berth each will likely go to the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) or HAM(S), at least two to Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and the remaining will be divided between the BJP and the JD(U).
According to sources, eight MLAs each from the BJP and the JD(U) will take oath on Thursday, one each from the RLM and HAM(S), and at least two LJP (RV) will also take oath, reported PTI.
Umesh Singh Kushwaha, JD(U) State chief who won from the Mahnar seat, is likely to be inducted in the new Cabinet.
While the JD(U) is likely set to retain its current Ministers, the BJP may bring in a few new faces.
JD(U) leaders likely to be part of the new Cabinet include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Shrowan Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Lesi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Madan Sahni, Ratnesh Sada, Mohammad Zama Khan, Jayant Raj, and Ashok Chowdhary.
BJP sources said most Ministers from the outgoing Cabinet will be retained, with the party considering three new faces.
Those likely to continue include Samrat Choudhary, Mangal Pandey, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Nitish Mishra, Renu Devi, Jibesh Kumar, Janak Ram and Neeraj Kumar Singh.
Potential new faces from the BJP include former IPS officer Anand Mishra, who has been elected from Buxar, Rana Randhir, Gayatri Devi, and Vijay Kumar Khemka, sources said.
Sources said consensus has been reached among NDA partners to appoint BJP's Prem Kumar as the Assembly Speaker. The Deputy Speaker's post is likely to go to the JD(U).