Nitish Kumar stakes claim to form government; suspense over Sushil Modi's role continues

On Sunday, the NDA chose Sushil Modi as the Deputy leader of its legislative party even as NDA leaders have not confirmed him as the Deputy CM of Bihar yet. As the NDA leaders including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Bihar poll-in-charge of BJP Devendra Fadnavis met on Sunday, JDU chief Nitish Kumar was also elected as NDA legislature party leader, he then met Governor Phagu Chauhan to stake a claim on the government. Nitish Kumar is likely to take oath as CM on Monday, November 16. Nitish Kumar said that he didn't ask to be the Chief Minister but accepted the post after BJP's insisted. 

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Sushil Modi not to be Deputy CM?

Earlier, it was speculated that Sushil Modi might be shifted to Rajya Sabha and a lesser know Dalit leader Kameshwar Chaupal will be elected. However, Sushil Modi was elected as the deputy leader of the Legislative party. When asked about the same to Nitish after he met the Governor, he said, "You will be informed about everything tomorrow."

Sushil Modi - whose political origins, much like Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav - are in the JP Movement. Sushil Modi, an ABVP leader in Patna university, served as Patna University Students’ Union general secretary in 1973 when Lalu was the Student Union President. When the BJP became the major Opposition power in the state in 1995, the Central leadership chose Yashwant Sinha instead of Sushil Modi, but years later, with Sinha's exit due to Hawala cases, Sushil Modi became BJP's top leader in the state. 

In 2005, when Nitish Kumar won along with BJP the elections against Lalu Yadav, ending his 15 years rule, Sushil Modi was made the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. He is often criticised as being a 'JDU man in BJP camp' due to his closeness with Nitish. Now, when BJP has won more seats than the JDU, it remains to be seen if Sushil Modi will continue to be Nitish's Deputy.

READ | Sushil Modi May Not Be BJP's 1st Choice For Bihar Dy CM Post, NDA Meet Underway: Sources

Bihar Election Result 2020

The Bihar assembly elections results were declared around midnight on November 10-November 11, with the ruling coalition - NDA winning 125 in the 243-member assembly, against Mahagathbandhan's 110. Even as the contest remained neck and neck throughout the day, RJD under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, became the single largest party with 75 seats, followed by BJP's 74. While Chirag Paswan's LJP won one seat, it made a major dent in JDU's tally that has come down to 43 from 71 in 2015. The biggest clincher is Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM winning 5 seats and CPI-ML  winning 12 seats. The other two left parties - CPI and CPI-M won two each. The other two alliance partners of NDA - HAM and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) won four seats each.

READ | Congress pins blame on AIMIM yet again: 'BJP must thank Owaisi for their victory in Bihar'

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