Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Patna, Senior Janata Dal United leader Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for the fourth time on Sunday, capping a fortnight-long political drama which ended in an anti-climax with rebel party leader Jitan Ram Manjhi resigning as chief minister shortly before the floor test on Friday sensing imminent defeat. The swearing-in ceremony also witnessed five other JDU leaders Ramdhani Singh, Rajeev Ranjan Lallan Singh, Awadesh Kushwaha, Jai Kumar Singh and Shyam Rajak taking oath as Bihar ministers.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Uttar Pradesh’s Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.
“The Governor accepted our claim to form government and invited me to take oath in Raj Bhavan at 5 PM on February 22,” Kumar said after meeting Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and staking claim to form government.
His government would take a decision to call the new budget session and fix a date for the Governor’s speech in the joint session, the chief minister-designate said.
