Bihar: BJP may retain Speaker; JD(U) Home

NEW DELHI/PATNA : Amid hard bargaining among NDA allies over plum portfolios in the new Bihar ministry on Tuesday, the Speakers post is expected to stay with the BJP, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may retain Home despite the BJP pressing him to part with it. Sources said on the names of two prominent BJP leaders for the position of Speaker have already been considered, one of whom will be finalised at Wednesdays BJP legislature party meeting in Patna. While earlier it was speculated that Chirag Paswans party might get a deputy CMs post, it now appears that the BJP would pocket both deputy CM posts, with the party considering appointing new faces for that position. Initially, the JD(U) wanted the Speakers post. It however, yielded and then pitched for a deputy CMs post. Prem Kumar, an eight-time BJP MLA from Gaya Town, is the frontrunner for the post of Speaker. Potential candidates for the deputy CM include Mangal Pandey, who has the backing of the RSS and served as health minister in the outgoing government, and Sanjiv Chaurasia or Vijay Kumar Sinha. After a three-hour meeting JD(U) leaders had with home minister Amit Shah, a formula for ministerial berths was agreed in principle. Apart from the CM, the ministry will have 16 from the BJP, 14 from JD(U), three from Chirags LJP(RV) and one each from Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Morcha. Nitish visited Gandhi Maidan to inspect preparations of the oath-taking ceremony on November 20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and others are expected to attend. Nitish to resign today Nitish will resign as head of the outgoing govt on Wednesday to start the formal process of forming a new government, which will take its oath of office the following day.