Nitish Kumar Meets Governor But Doesn't Resign; Cabinet Minister Reveals Why

Earlier, the Chief Electoral Officer handed over the list of newly elected MLAs to the Governor, completing another procedural step in the government-formation process.

Nitish Kumar stepped down a day after the outgoing cabinet authorised him to take the “necessary action” for government formation.

Source : PTI

Three days after the Bihar Assembly election results were declared, JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar met Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday. Although he has not resigned yet, the chief minister held the government’s final cabinet meeting before heading to Raj Bhavan. The cabinet approved a proposal recommending the dissolution of the current Assembly on November 19.

JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary told reporters, “The cabinet met today and recommended dissolving the present Assembly from November 19. The Chief Minister has conveyed this to the Governor.”

The November 14 results gave a sweeping majority to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), while the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan performed far below expectations.

Who Will Be Bihar’s Next Chief Minister?

Speculation is now centred on who will lead the new government. Despite the BJP winning more seats, sources indicate that Nitish Kumar is likely to take oath as Chief Minister for a record 10th time. The swearing-in is expected on November 20, with around 31 ministers likely to take oath alongside him.

The ceremony is scheduled at Gandhi Maidan in Patna and may be attended by chief ministers of NDA-ruled states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to be present.

Separately, HAM(S) leader and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said the new cabinet may include 35–36 ministers: 15–16 from the BJP, 13–14 from JD(U), 3 from LJP (Ram Vilas), and one each from HAM and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM. “We have no greed for ministerial posts; we will be happy with what we get,” he added.

Nitish Kumar’s Journey As Chief Minister

Nitish Kumar first became Chief Minister in 2000. He then served from 2005–10 and 2010–14 with BJP support. After the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he resigned, paving the way for Jitan Ram Manjhi.

He returned as CM in 2015 with support from the RJD, Congress, and HAM. In that election, the JD(U) won 80 seats while the RJD secured 71, and Tejashwi Yadav became deputy chief minister for the first time.

In 2017, after RJD refused to seek Tejashwi’s resignation over corruption allegations, Nitish abruptly resigned and returned to the NDA within hours to form a new government with the BJP.

He continued as CM after the 2020 polls, again with NDA support. In 2022, he switched back to the Mahagathbandhan, forming another government with the RJD—until January 2024, when he resigned and rejoined the NDA, taking oath as Chief Minister for the ninth time.