Nitish to take oath as Bihar CM on November 20

Patna, Nov 14: Nitish Kumar, who along with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, steered the Grand Secular Alliance to a landslide mandate of over two-thirds majority in Bihar assembly poll, will be sworn in as Chief Minister on Novermber 20 for a third term along with his new cabinet.

Kumar, who was elected the leader of the Grand Alliance legislature party leader paving the way for his becoming the CM, told reporters outside Raj Bhawan after meeting Governor Ram Nath Kovind that he will take oath as Chief Minister on November 20 at 2 PM at Gandhi Maidan here.

Emerging from Raj Bhawan after about a 45 minute meeting, he said all the three parties of the alliance - JD(U), RJD and Congress would be part of his new cabinet. In reply to a question by newsmen as to how many ministers would take oath with him on November 20, Kumar merely said the maximum limit for Bihar House was fixed at 36.

Asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP veteran L K Advani would be invited to the oath-taking function, Kumar said these matters "would be decided in due course and the media would be informed." Kumar was earlier elected the Allaince's legislature party leader at its meeting and he later met the Governor staking claim to form government.

Lalu Prasad, his JD(U) counterpart Sharad Yadav, Congress General Secretary C P Joshi, JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi and state presidents of JD(U), RJD and Congress Basistha Narayan Singh, Ramchandra Purve and Ashok Choudhary respectively accompanied Kumar to the meeting with the Governor.

PTI