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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dissolved his cabinet on Tuesday and submitted his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, paving the way for the BJP to lead Bihar's government for the first time in the state's history.
Janata Dal (United) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Nitish Kumar. (PTI)(HT_PRINT)Bihar Cabinet Dissolved: After nearly two decades of defining Bihar's political landscape, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday dissolved his cabinet and tendered his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, clearing the path for a historic transition of power that will see the BJP lead a state government in Bihar for the first time.
An Emotional Farewell in the Cabinet Room
The dissolution came after a final cabinet meeting at the Old Secretariat in Patna, where Nitish Kumar informed his ministerial colleagues of his decision,, a constitutional formality required before a chief minister may formally resign. By all accounts, the atmosphere in the room was charged with sentiment.
State minister Ram Kripal Yadav, speaking to reporters outside, described the scene within: "It was a very emotional moment for all of us. The CM informed us about his decision for dissolution of the cabinet. He will submit his resignation as CM to the governor later in the day."
Kumar, widely regarded as the longest-serving chief minister in Bihar's history, was expected to meet the governor before 3 pm — a deadline set to allow the BJP to convene its legislature party meeting and elect a new leader in his place.
BJP, the Single Largest Party, Moves to Elect New Legislature Leader
With 89 seats in the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly, the BJP holds the position of single largest party and is now poised to lead the National Democratic Alliance government in the state. A BJP legislature party meeting was scheduled for 2 pm at the party office, to be followed by a broader NDA meeting.
BJP MLA Vinod Narayan Jha confirmed the sequence of events: "From 2 pm onwards, a meeting of the BJP Legislative Party will be held, after which there will be an NDA meeting. Our national leaders are coming here."
BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh arrived in Patna ahead of the meetings, signalling the central leadership's close oversight of the transition. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was named as the central observer for the legislature party election.
Bihar BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi confirmed that the NDA meeting would follow at 4 pm in the Central Hall of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, where the alliance's choice of legislature party leader would be formally ratified.
Nitish Kumar's Legacy: From Shame to Pride, Says JDU
Even as the machinery of political succession moved swiftly in Patna, voices from Kumar's own Janata Dal (United) paused to take stock of what his tenure had meant for Bihar.
Sanjay Kumar Jha, JDU National Working President and Rajya Sabha MP, offered an unambiguous assessment of Kumar's impact: "This is an emotional moment for the 140 million people of Bihar. We always say that we felt ashamed to say we are Bihari before Nitish ji's arrival, and after his arrival, Bihar's respect and prestige remained intact."
Jha was equally categorical about the continuity of Kumar's influence beyond office, asserting that "the present government and future administrations will continue to function under Nitish Kumar's guidance."
A Constitutional Ritual Marks the End of an Era
Earlier in the day, before the cabinet convened for its final sitting, Nitish Kumar paid floral tributes to Bharat Ratna BR Ambedkar on his 135th birth anniversary.
The resignation and the BJP's election of a legislature leader represent a significant realignment in Bihar's political arithmetic, even as the NDA alliance itself remains intact. What changes is the identity of the hand on the wheel — and for a state that Nitish Kumar spent two decades reshaping, that shift carries a weight that transcends the procedural.
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