The Hindu : Front Page : Nitish Kumar to be sworn in today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005

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Front Page

Nitish Kumar to be sworn in today

Special Correspondent

BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi to be the Deputy Chief Minister Nitish swept the NDA's demand for Buta Singh's ouster under the carpet, adopting a `let bygones be bygones' posture

PHOTO: RANJEET KUMAR

HERO'S WELCOME: National Democratic Alliance's Bihar chief minister-designate Nitish Kumar being greeted by supporters on arrival at the Patna airport on Wednesday. He will be sworn in on Thursday.

PATNA: The first NDA Government of the Janata Dal (United) and the BJP with Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister will be sworn in at a public function at the Gandhi Maidan here on Thursday. BJP's State unit chief Sushil Kumar Modi will be the Deputy Chief Minister.

Governor Buta Singh formally invited Mr. Kumar to form a government after the NDA collectively and the JD (U) separately elected him leader of the legislative wing.

Mr. Kumar went to the Raj Bhavan accompanied by JD (U) parliamentary party chairman Sharad Yadav, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley, State JD (U) chief Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Mr. Modi.

On the eve of his oath taking, Mr. Kumar sought to brush aside controversies involving the Governor who will be administering to him the oath of office. Mr. Kumar, on his arrival here from Delhi, swept the NDA's demand for his ouster under the carpet, adopting a `let bygones be bygones' posture.

Mr. Kumar said the size of his Ministry would be small for now, with 11 to 12 members belonging to both the BJP and the JD (U). It would be expanded later.

The BJP legislature party elected Mr. Modi at its meeting. The election was announced by its vice-president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, who was the party's observer. The other observer deputed by the parliamentary board, which met in Delhi earlier in the morning, was Arun Jaitley, general secretary, who is in charge of party affairs in Bihar.

Slogans against Modi's election

The decision, however, was not welcome to the supporters of Ashwini Chaubey, former legislative wing leader, who raised slogans accusing Mr. Modi of usurping the post, which should "naturally" have gone to their leader. They burnt an effigy of Mr. Modi. Mr. Chaubey, however, said that he would abide by the party's decision.

Some JD (U) leaders too were against the creation of the post of Deputy Chief Minister saying that it was unconstitutional.

Setting aside rumours that the BJP wanted equal representation in the Ministry, Mr. Kumar made it clear that it would be on the basis of the strength of the parties. He was confident that the two parties would work in cooperation with each other. The maximum strength of the Ministry in the House of 243 could be 36.

The Chief Minister-designate declined to field questions about those with criminal antecedents being given representation in the Council of Ministers. He said he would not give room for complaints and law and order improvement was his top priority.

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