Nitish set to be elected as Grand Alliance Leg party leader

Patna, Nov 13: JD(U) leader and outgoing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is all set to be elected as Leader of Grand Alliance legislature party tomorrow in Bihar even as RJD chief Lalu Prasad was today authorized by his party's legislators to nominate its leader in the new Assembly.

Kumar will be formally elected as the Grand Alliance legislature Party leader at a meeting in the Assembly premises tomorrow for which RJD's newly-elected members will march from Rabri Devi's official residence after their scheduled meeting at 1 PM, Prasad told reporters.

The Legislature Party of the RJD comprising 79 newly-elected MLAs and five from the Legislative Council had its inaugural meeting during which an unanimous decision was taken to authorise Prasad to chose its leader and to anoint Nitish as the Leader of the Grand Alliance legislature party in the 16th state Assembly.

Asked as to who will be the RJD Legislature Party leader amid speculation that Tejaswi Yadav, one of his sons, would get the key post, Prasad said, "I will take a call on the matter as the Legislature Party has authorized me to take a decision in this regard".

Tejaswi, his brother Tej Prasad Yadav, who also won, and mother Rabri Devi were seated on the dais when the RJD chief warded off persistent questions on who would be the RJD Legislature Party leader in the new House.

The RJD Legislature Party meeting held at a posh hotel in the state capital was presided over by Rabri Devi, a former chief minister and the party's state parliamentary unit leader.

Barring Kedar Singh, the RJD MLA from Baniapur assembly seat in Saran district who is lodged in jail, the remaining 79 new MLAs and five MLCs of the party were present at the meeting, Prasad said.

The Grand Alliance won 178 seats--RJD(80), JD(U)(71) and Congress 27 to inflict a humiliating defeat on the NDA which got 58 seats of which BJP accounted for 53.

PTI