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.
Kumar was administered the oath of office at Raj Bhavan by Governor Phagu Chauhan, a day after he staked claim for the formation of a new government in the state.
#WATCH: Nitish Kumar takes oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the seventh time – his fourth consecutive term. pic.twitter.com/5jcZXabSYw
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020
JD(U) leaders Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary, and Mewa Lal Choudhary took oath as Cabinet Ministers. Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mukesh Sahni of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) were also among those who took oath. From the BJP, Mangal Pandey and Amarendra Pratap Singh took oath as Bihar Cabinet Ministers.
While Tarkishore Prasad belongs to the same Bania community as Sushil Modi, the BJP hopes to send a message to women, who are believed to have voted in larger numbers for the party than the men, with the selection of Renu Devi, who is a Nonia. She earlier served as BJP national vice-president.
Meanwhile, RJD had put out a statement on its twitter handle announcing that they would boycott the ceremony as “the public gave the mandate to change which is against the NDA.” “RJD boycotts the swearing-in ceremony. The mandate for change was against NDA. The mandate has been changed into government order. As the unemployed youth, farmers, contract workers, teachers what they are going through. People are upset with the fraud committed by NDA. We are people’s representatives and we stand with people,” said RJD, the single largest party of Bihar.
In the House of 243, the NDA got 125 seats, with BJP getting 74, 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.
राजद शपथ ग्रहण का बायकॉट करती है। बदलाव का जनादेश NDA के विरुद्ध है। जनादेश को 'शासनादेश' से बदल दिया गया। बिहार के बेरोजगारों,किसानो,संविदाकर्मियों, नियोजित शिक्षकों से पूछे कि उनपर क्या गुजर रही है।NDA के फर्ज़ीवाड़े से जनता आक्रोशित है। हम जनप्रतिनिधि है और जनता के साथ खड़े है
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) November 16, 2020
There was no official word from the BJP, though sources said Sushil Modi might be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha in the seat that has fallen vacant with Ram Vilas Paswan’s death, and made a minister at the Centre, or named the Governor of a state.
