JOIN USWasn't keen on becoming Bihar CM: Nitish Kumar after being elected
JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was elected leader of the NDA Legislature Party here on Sunday. He will take oath on Monday as the Bihar Chief Minister for the fourth straight term, although technically it will be his seventh oath, including the one in March 2000, when he took over as the CM of undivided Bihar for seven days.
However, soon after being elected as leader of the JD(U) Legislature Party, and eventually as the NDA leader, Nitish clarified that he was not keen on becoming the Bihar Chief Minister this time. “I wanted someone from the BJP to take over as CM. But I relented and agreed to don the mantle of Bihar chief-ministership only when the BJP unanimously and vociferously asked me to take over the reins of the state once again,” averred Nitish.
Notably, the JD(U) has won 43 seats, 31 less than the BJP tally of 74. The two other alliance partners – HAM and the VIP - have won four seats each in the 243-member House, thereby taking the NDA tally to 125.
Though Nitish was elected the NDA leader, there was suspense over who will be his deputy. Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi has been his deputy since 2005 (barring 2013-17), but on Sunday, there was no unanimity over Sushil Modi’s name as the Deputy Chief Minister.
The BJP elected Katihar MLA Tarakeshwar Prasad as the BJP Legislature Party (BJPLP) leader, while senior MLA from Bettiah, Renu Devi, was elected Deputy leader in the new House.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who flew down from New Delhi as the Central observer, was present at the NDA meeting at Nitish’s official residence – 1, Aney Marg.
“No decision has been taken on the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. The BJP leaders will meet and decide. Only then, you will be informed about it,” said Rajnath, who enjoys cordial relations with Nitish, but remained non-committal on the Chief Minister’s choice of having Sushil Modi as his deputy.
Sources in the BJP said that the Central leadership was not keen on having Modi as Deputy CM. Besides, the seven-term BJP MLA from Gaya, Prem Kumar, too has staked his claim on the Dy CM post. Apart from this, there are two more names doing the rounds: Union Minister Nityanand Rai and former BJP MLC Kameshwar Chaupal, whose claim to fame is that he was the first Kar Sevak who laid the first brick during foundation laying ceremony of Ram Temple at Ayodhya in 1989.
Nitish's history as CM of Bihar
1. March 2000 (Remained CM for only seven days).
2. Nov 2005
3. Nov 2010
4. Feb 2015 (after Manjhi's sacking as CM)
5. Nov 2015 (as Grand Alliance CM)
6. July 2017 (as NDA CM)
7. Nov 16, 2020