Bihar Assembly Speaker Likely to Be BJP’s Prem Kumar, JD(U) Gets Deputy Role

The NDA partners have reached an agreement regarding the Bihar Assembly Speaker's position, with BJP's Prem Kumar likely to be appointed. Nitish Kumar is set to become the Chief Minister of Bihar for the tenth time, with the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 11:30 am on Thursday. The final list of leaders taking oath is yet to be confirmed, but around 18 leaders are expected to participate, possibly including two deputy chief ministers.

In the previous assembly, BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav served as Speaker, while JD(U)'s Narendra Narayan Yadav held the Deputy Speaker position. The BJP and JD(U) have been negotiating key portfolios and the Speaker role ahead of their legislative meetings. Sources indicate that a consensus was reached after a three-hour NDA meeting.

Key Positions and Expected Appointments

The Deputy Speaker's role is anticipated to go to JD(U). On their side, several senior leaders are under consideration for ministerial positions. Names being discussed include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Shrawan Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Lesi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Madan Sahni, Ratnesh Sada, Mohammad Zama Khan, Jayant Raj, Umesh Singh Kushwaha, and Ashok Chowdhary.

Other potential JD(U) inductees are Rahul Kumar Singh, Sudhanshu Shekhar, Kaladhar Prasad Mandal, and Panna Lal Singh Patel. Meanwhile, BJP insiders suggest that most ministers from the outgoing Cabinet will be retained while introducing three new faces. Those expected to continue include Samrat Choudhary and Prem Kumar.

BJP's Strategy and New Faces

BJP plans to retain ministers like Mangal Pandey and Vijay Kumar Sinha while considering new entrants such as former IPS officer Anand Mishra and Rana Randhir. Gayatri Devi and Vijay Kumar Khemka are also potential new additions. From NDA allies, Raju Tiwary of LJP (RV), Santosh Suman of HAM(S), and Snehlata Kushwaha of RLM are in discussions.

The oath-taking ceremony for the new NDA government will take place at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan on November 20. This event marks another significant milestone in Bihar's political landscape as Nitish Kumar continues his long-standing leadership journey.