Nitish likely to take oath on 20th November, after Diwali, Chhat Puja

Patna: Nitish Kumar looks all set to take the oath once again as Bihar chief minister at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan after Diwali and Chhat Puja on November 20.

Mr Kumar held a brainstorming session with close aides and other senior members of the Grand Alliance at his official residence here Tuesday to decide the strength of his Cabinet.

Sources said campaign strategist Prashant Kishore is also playing a key role in this exercise. Senior state JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the Grand Alliance leaders would be consulted before the names were announced.

On the timing, JD(U) state chief Basisth Narayan Singh said, “There are two important festivals — Diwali and Chhat, which ends November 18, and it is most likely that Nitish Kumar may take the oath after these two festivals on November 20.”

Sources said 16 MLAs each from the JD(U) and RJD and five from the Congress might be inducted into the new Cabinet. The formula that is being worked out by the Grand Alliance is that “for every five MLAs, there will be one minister”, the sources said. The Alliance won 178 out of 243 seats in the Assembly.

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