Patna, Nov 15 (UNI) In the wake of NDA's massive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, negotiations over government formation have intensified, with party leaders confabulating at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence on Saturday.
Along with key JD(U) leaders, LJP (Ram Vilas) President Chirag Paswan also met Nitish Kumar and discussed the outline of the future alliance.
However, the suspense over Nitish Kumar's return as Chief Minister has deepened, as senior BJP leaders continue to refrain from explicitly endorsing his name.
Their hesitation has fuelled political speculation, especially in light of the shifting power balance within the NDA after the 2025 election results, where the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats with JD(U) in second place, with 85 seats, both being part of the NDA alliance.
Speaking to the media about the formation of the new government, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal said the party would spend the next few days organising programmes to thank the people of Bihar for the mandate. After that, MLAs of all constituent parties would choose their respective leaders, following which the NDA legislators would jointly select the alliance's leader.
He emphasised that this is the constitutional and traditional process followed during government formation. Asked whether Nitish Kumar would return as Chief Minister, Jaiswal said the decision would ultimately be made by the BJP's central leadership.
Earlier, Dharmendra Pradhan, who served as the BJP's election in-charge for Bihar, also avoided naming Nitish Kumar when questioned about the Chief Minister's post during a television interview.
Meanwhile, the JD (U) has asked all its newly elected MLAs to reach Patna by Sunday evening, as a meeting with Kumar has been scheduled for Monday.
Although not formally announced yet, this meeting is likely to serve as the first gathering of the JD(U) Legislature Party, during which important decisions related to government formation, leadership, and the cabinet are likly to be taken. It is expected that all newly-elected JD(U) MLAs will nominate Nitish Kumar for the post of Chief Minister.
Observers point out that though meetings of legislature parties are usually a formality, this time with government formation at stake, the situation is somewhat different.
During the election, some questioned Nitish Kumar's stance, while others discussed the BJP's leadership. In such a scenario, this meeting indicates that the JD(U) wants to avoid any form of political disagreement or confusion within its own ranks as it gears up to form a government.
The JD(U) MLAs are also expected to discuss the new equations in the power-sharing arrangement, considering the number of seats won by the BJP and other alliance partners. Of the 29 ministers in the outgoing Bihar government, 28 have won their seats with decisive margins.
These results reflect the public's trust in the NDA government, particularly in the performance of its ministers. As a result, many existing ministers are expected to find a place in the new cabinet too.
However, the need to accommodate MLAs from the other three alliance partners - LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM and RLM will pose significant challenges in government formations.
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