Modi not going for Nitish Kumar swearing-in ceremony

It’s official. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend Mr Nitish Kumar’s oath-ceremony on November 20. The refusal came on Wednesday after Mr Kumar personally telephoned the Prime Minister and requested him to attend the ceremony.

In a bid to clear the air on the issue, BJP leader Sanjay Mayukh said, “The PM may not be able to attend the event as he has other scheduled programmes,” adding that he said senior BJP leader and parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu and Rajiv Pratap Rudy “will attend the oath ceremony”.

Terming the invitation to the PM a “formality”, state JD(U) president Basisth Narayan Singh said, “Prime Minister has been invited but now it’s completely up to him whether he attends or not.”

Besides the PM, Mr Nitish Kumar has also invited Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders of other political parties. According to the Congress party, “Rahul Gandhi will reach Patna on November 20 and will attend the oath of Nitish Kumar and other ministers.”

The Congress, according to sources, is likely to get five ministerial berths in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, after the massive success of his party, is said to be still holding discussions on roles for his two sons and eldest daughter. His two sons, who have won from Raghopur and Mahua constituencies, may get important portfolios in the Nitish Cabinet, while a role for his daughter, Misa Bharti, is yet to be decided.

“My party’s sole aim is to serve the people of Bihar, it’s the party which will decide what role it wants us to play,” Mr Lalu Yadav’s younger son, Tejaswi Yadav, said on Wednesday during the Chhath festival. With only one day left for the ceremony, Mr Lalu Yadav may meet Mr Kumar on Thursday to decide roles for his sons.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Assam CM Tarun Gogoi are among the top leaders likely to attend the ceremony on November 20.

In an attempt to end the bitterness of the Bihar elections, the entire Samajwadi leadership from UP is expected to attend the swearing in ceremony of Mr Kumar in Patna. The participation of UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav has already been confirmed but Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is still undecided about his attending the ceremony.

This will be the first time that the Samajwadi leaders will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Kumar. A formal invitation has been sent by the JD(U) and RJD to the SP leadership for the event.

Another special invitee at the swearing in ceremony will be Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Chaudhary Ajit Singh.

The Bihar government officially released a list of around 35 political leaders on Wednesday, most of them belonging to non-BJP parties.