Patna, Nov 18: The BJP’s preparations for the formation of the next Bihar government advanced on Tuesday with the party naming Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya as its central observer for the legislature party meeting in Patna. BJP president J.P. Nadda approved the appointment through an order from the national capital, assigning Maurya the task of supervising the election of the BJP legislature party leader.
The party has also deployed Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and former Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti as co-observers. Senior BJP figures noted that the trio was selected to “guide the process” as the legislature party meets to pick its new leader.
All parties in the National Democratic Alliance are convening their legislature party meetings today. Once the individual leaders are chosen, the alliance is expected to formally endorse Nitish Kumar as the leader of the NDA legislature party in the Assembly. A senior NDA member said, “Everyone understands that the coalition is united behind Nitish Kumar.”
Officials said the swearing-in ceremony of the new government is likely on November 20, with preparations already underway in Patna.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the internal discussions said the upcoming Cabinet could include an unprecedented number of women ministers. Party leaders mentioned that this would be a symbolic acknowledgement of what they described as the “strong support from women” during the election campaign.
The NDA registered a commanding victory with 202 of the 243 Assembly seats, leaving the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress with only scattered wins. A senior leader remarked that the verdict had “virtually wiped out the opposition presence” in the eastern state.
