Nitish Kumar Oath Taking Ceremony Updates: Narendra Modi congratulates CM, assures 'all possible' support

‘Hope you remain NDA CM’, Chirag taunts Nitish in greeting

LJP president Chirag Paswan said on Monday that he hopes Nitish Kumar remains an “NDA chief minister” in a dig at the JD(U) chief as he “congratulated” him on taking oath of office for the seventh term.

Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party had walked out of the NDA in Bihar vowing to oust Nitish Kumar from power in the state, also congratulated the BJP on “making” him the chief minister.

“Congratulations to Nitish Kumar on becoming the chief minister again. I hope the government completes its term and you continue to remain an NDA chief minister,” Paswan tweeted after Kumar was administered the oath of office by Governor Phagu Chauhan at the Raj Bhavan.

Paswan also said that he was sending a copy of the LJP’s manifesto to the 69-year-old chief minister so that he could work on some of the promises made in it.

“Once again I congratulate you on becoming chief minister and the BJP on making you one,” Paswan tweeted along with a website link to his party’s manifesto. Though the LJP won just one seat in the polls, several JD(U) leaders have said that the Paswan-led party dented chances of Nitish Kumar’s party in over two dozen seats, reducing it to just 43 in the 243-member Assembly.

Four JD(U) members sworn in as cabinet ministers

Four JDU leader,  Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary, and Mewa Lal Choudhary, take oath as cabinet ministers.

Patna: JDU leaders Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary, and Mewa Lal Choudhary take oath as Cabinet Ministers of Bihar. pic.twitter.com/peFgFjM8vq

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020

Narendra Modi says NDA will work together for Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nitish Kumar as taking oath as the Chief Minister Of Bihar for his fourth straight term on Monday. Modi was one of the BJP leaders who had endorsed JD(U) chief Nitish as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate since before the Assembly polls.

Congratulations to @NitishKumar Ji on taking oath as Bihar’s CM. I also congratulate all those who took oath as Ministers in the Bihar Government. The NDA family will work together for the progress of Bihar. I assure all possible support from the Centre for the welfare of Bihar.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 16, 2020

K Palaniswami congratulates Nitish on taking oath

Dear Shri.Nitish Kumar @NitishKumar ji, I Congratulate you on your assumption of charge as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record fourth time and wish you a successful tenure.

— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) November 16, 2020

Nitish Kumar’s tenure as Bihar CM:

The 69-year-old, who has had a continuous run since November, 2005, except for the period in 2014-15 when Jitan Ram Manjhi kept the chair warm for him, is on course to becoming the longest serving Chief Minister of Bihar, surpassing the record of Shrikrishna Singh who held the top post since before Independence till his death in 1961.

Kumar was first sworn in as CM in 2000, for a term that lasted barely a week as he failed to muster a majority and returned as a minister at the Centre in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Five years later, he returned with the JD(U)-BJP alliance winning a majority and upon completion of his tenure returned in 2010 when the coalition won a landslide victory in the Assembly polls.

He stepped down in May, 2014, owning moral responsibility for the JD(U)’s debacle in Lok Sabha polls, only to return in February, 2015 when a rebellious Manjhi was elbowed out. In November, 2015, the Assembly polls were fought and won by the Grand Alliance which then comprised JD(U), Lalu Prasad’s RJD and Congress with Kumar back as the chief minister.

He, however, abruptly exited the alliance in July, 2017, citing irreconcilable differences with the RJD and resigned as Chief Minister only to return in less than 24 hours armed with the support of the BJP.

Tejashwi Yadav says hope Nitish makes employment priority

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav congratulated Nitish Kumar on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the fourth time. He added, “I hope that instead of the ambition of the chair, he will make the government’s priority in the 19 lakh jobs and jobs of Bihar’s Janakaksha and NDA and positive issues like education, medicine, earning, irrigation, hearing.”

आदरणीय श्री नीतीश कुमार जी को मुख्यमंत्री ‘मनोनीत’ होने पर शुभकामनाएँ। आशा करता हूँ कि कुर्सी की महत्वाकांक्षा की बजाय वो बिहार की जनाकांक्षा एवं NDA के 19 लाख नौकरी-रोजगार और पढ़ाई, दवाई, कमाई, सिंचाई, सुनवाई जैसे सकारात्मक मुद्दों को सरकार की प्राथमिकता बनायेंगे।

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) November 16, 2020

HAM, VIP, BJP leaders sworn in as ministers

Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Mukesh Sahni of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) took oath as Cabinet ministers.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Mangal Pandey and Amarendra Pratap Singh also took oaths as ministers.

Patna: Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi & Mukesh Sahni of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) take oath as a Cabinet Minister of Bihar. pic.twitter.com/mYCYhk22Pr

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020

Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Mangal Pandey and Amarendra Pratap Singh take oath as Bihar Cabinet Ministers. pic.twitter.com/U9Cn6oR3bk

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020

Ashok Chaudhary, Mewa Lal Chaudhary take oaths as Cabinet ministers

JD(U) leader Ashok Chaudhary, who was given charge as working president of party’s state unit ahead of Assembly polls, was sworn in as a Cabinet minister.

JD(U)’s Mewa Lal Choudhary, who emerged victorious in the Tarapur in the Bihar Assembly polls over RJD’s Divya Prakash, took oath as a Cabinet minister.

WATCH: Nitish Kumar takes oath as CM

JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar took oath as the Bihar Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive term amid boycott by the RJD, which emerged as the single-largest party in the Bihar Assembly polls with 75 seats.

#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

Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav sworn in as Cabinet ministers

The Sarairanjan MLA considered to be close to Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Cabinet minister. The JD(U) leader became the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 2015.

Bijendra Prasad Yadav too returned to he Bihar Cabinet. He is currently the Minister of Energy in the Nitish Kumar-led Cabinet.

Renu Devi sworn-in as Deputy CM

Renu Devi was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. She has served as a minister in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet formed after the 2010 Bihar Assembly polls.

She is a a four-time MLA from Bettiah constituency in the Champaran region, which is considered a BJP stronghold.

Tarikishore Prasad sworn in as Deputy CM

Fourth term Katihar MLA Tarkishore Prasad was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, a day after he was named the BJP legislature party leader on Sunday.

Nitish Kumar arrives at Raj Bhavan

Bihar Chief Minister designate Nitish Kumar arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Patna ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

Reports claim Tarikishore Prasad and Renu Devi have emerged as frontrunners for the position of the deputy chief minister, while the Assembly Speaker is likely to be from the BJP.

Bihar: Chief Minister designate Nitish Kumar arrives at Raj Bhavan in Patna.

He will take oath as the CM of Bihar for the seventh time today. pic.twitter.com/agZngpg6js

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020

Amit Shah, Devendra Fandavis arrive for swearing-in ceremony

Ahead of Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in, BJP leaders including Amit Shah, JP Nadda and Devendra Fadnavis arrives the Raj Bhavan in Patna.

BJP nd JD(U) are the leading NDA partners that emerged victorious in the Bihar Assembly polls, which concluded on 7 November and the results of which were declared after counting of votes on 10 November.

Bihar: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis arrives at the party office in Patna. pic.twitter.com/Aj4jqLg4Fh

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2020

Bihar likely to have Speaker from BJP, 2 deputy CMs

Ahead of Nitish Kumar’s oath-taking ceremony, the names of Renu Devi and Tarkishore Prasad emerged as likely candidates for the post of the deputy chief ministers, according to The Times of India.

Meanwhile, NDTV reported that the Bihar Assembly Speaker is expected to be from the BJP.

Congress leaders echo need for introspection

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said in an interview to Indian Express that the party is yet to discuss its Bihar Assembly polls performance. “Maybe Congress leadership thinks it should be business as usual,” he said in a tweet.

In response, Tariq Anwar said, “We need to discuss our performance in Bihar. Although, it is not party’s national issue but of Bihar alone. As far as central leadership is concerned, they supported us. It is Bihar leadership’s fault for not using opportunity properly.”

Party leader Karti Chidambaram too said in a tweet that it is time to “introspect, ideate, consult and act”.

Sibal was part of the group of 23 senior Congress leaders who had in August written to party chief Sonia Gandhi making suggestions to revive the organisation.

Amit Shah, JP Nadda to attend oath-taking ceremony

BJP chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah will attend Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in ceremony to be held in Patna shortly.

The BJP, JD(U) and other parties came together to form the victorious coalition in Bihar. BJP won in 74 seats, while JD(U) won in 43 constituencies and staked claim to government formation with the support and Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikassheel Insaan Party, which had bagged four seats each.

RJD to boycott swearing-in ceremony

Bihar’s main opposition party RJD said it will boycott the oath-taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar, claiming the mandate in the elections was “against the NDA” which has been changed by a “fraud”.

“The RJD boycotts oath-taking ceremony of this puppet government. The mandate is for a change, and against the (ruling) NDA. The peoples verdict has been changed by the rulers order,” the RJD, which emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats, said in a tweet. “Ask the unemployed, the farmer, the contract worker and teacher as to what they are going through. People are angry with NDAs fraud. We are public representatives and we stand with people,” it said.

Nitish Kumar to be sworn in as CM

Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the fourth consecutive term, with the party having won the recently concluded Assembly elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The swearing-in will be held between 4 and 4.30 pm at the Raj Bhavan in Patna.