Patna, January 28: Nitish Kumar took oath as the Bihar Chief Minister for the record ninth time on Sunday, January 28. In a dramatic turn of events, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resigned from his post earlier today, ending his alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Indian National Democratic Alliance (INDIA). Nitish Kumar will have Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, who were elected as the leader and deputy leader of the BJP legislative party in Bihar on Sunday, as the deputy CMs.

Nitish Kumar, who is the leader of the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), submitted his resignation letter to Governor Rajendra Arlekar along with letters of support from 125 BJP legislators, claiming majority in the 243-member house. The Governor accepted his resignation and asked him to continue as the caretaker chief minister till the new government is sworn in. Nitish Kumar Swearing-In Ceremony: JDU Chief Takes Oath As Bihar CM for Record Ninth Time (Watch Video).

Who is Samrat Choudhary

Samrat Choudhary, also known as Rakesh Kumar, is a veteran BJP leader and the state president of the party. He is currently a member of the Legislative Council and the leader of the party in the upper house. He joined the BJP in 2018 after leaving the RJD and the JD(U). He is the son of Shakuni Chaudhary, a former army man-turned-politician and a well-known socialist leader who was a minister and a former MP.

Who is Vijay Kumar Sinha

Vijay Kumar Sinha is a three-time MLA from Lakhisarai constituency and a former speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He resigned from the speaker's post in 2022 after losing the trust vote moved by the Mahagathbandhan, the alliance of the RJD, the INDIA and other parties. He was also the leader of the opposition in the assembly when Nitish Kumar formed the Mahagathbandhan government in 2015. Nitish Kumar Resigns: BJP’s Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Sinha Likely To Be Deputy CMs in Bihar (Watch Video).

Apart from the two deputy CMs, the new cabinet is likely to have some other prominent BJP leaders as ministers, such as Nitin Nabin, Shahnawaz Hussain, Rampreet Paswan, Neeraj Singh Babloo and Prasad. The JD(U) is expected to have a smaller share of ministers, as it has only 43 seats in the assembly compared to the BJP's 82.

The political developments in Bihar have come as a surprise to many, as Nitish Kumar had earlier announced that he would not break his alliance with the RJD and INDIA despite the corruption charges against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and his family. However, he changed his stance after the election results, which showed a clear mandate for the BJP and a poor performance by his allies.

The RJD and the INDIA have accused Nitish Kumar of betraying the people's mandate and joining hands with the BJP for power. They have also announced that they will boycott the oath-taking ceremony and stage a protest outside the Raj Bhavan. They have also challenged the Governor's decision to invite Nitish Kumar to form the government, alleging that he did not verify the authenticity of the letters of support.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 28, 2024 05:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).