BJP, JD(U) in fierce tug-of-war for Speaker’s post as new Bihar govt takes shape

As the NDA prepares to install its new government in Bihar, an intense political contest is unfolding behind closed doors in New Delhi, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) vying aggressively for the coveted Assembly Speaker’s post.

High-level negotiations between the two principal NDA partners will take place on November 18, with the Speaker’s chair — held in the outgoing Assembly by BJP’s Nand Kishore Yadav — emerging as the most contentious issue. The JD(U), which held the Deputy Speaker’s post through Narendra Narayan Yadav, is pushing hard for a reshuffle in power equations this time.

The meeting in Delhi, featuring Nitish Kumar’s top aides Sanjay Kumar Jha and Lalan Singh alongside senior BJP strategists, is expected to determine not just the Speaker but also the broader allocation of ministerial portfolios, sources said. BJP leaders held late-night huddles in Patna to crystallise their bargaining strategy before flying to the capital.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is simultaneously leading consultations with smaller NDA allies — Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party — to formalize their representation in the new cabinet.

Sources said the alliance has tentatively agreed to a power-sharing formula of one ministerial berth for every six MLAs.

Both the BJP and JD(U) will hold separate legislative party meetings on November 19, followed by a joint NDA session later that day to finalise the coalition’s leadership structure. The swearing-in ceremony for the new government, led by Nitish Kumar, is scheduled for November 20 at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan.

The formation process began on November 17, after Nitish Kumar met Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to recommend dissolution of the outgoing Assembly from November 19. He is expected to formally resign on November 19 and submit the collective support of all NDA MLAs, paving the way for the new cabinet to take oath.

The NDA swept the recently concluded Assembly elections with 202 seats, delivering a commanding mandate. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats, marginally ahead of JD(U)’s 85. The LJP (Ram Vilas) secured 19 seats, HAM won five, and Upendra Kushwaha’s party took four.

In sharp contrast, the Mahagathbandhan collapsed to 34 seats — the RJD plunging from 75 to 25, the Congress winning just six of the 61 seats it contested, while the Left and others managed only minor footholds.

The Speaker’s post now at the centre of an increasingly tense negotiation is expected to set the tone for how power will be shared in Bihar’s new ruling coalition.