Patna, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Dr Prem Kumar is poised to be elected Speaker of the newly constituted 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly when it convenes for its maiden session on 1 December, according to highly placed sources in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Dr Kumar, 68, who secured a ninth consecutive term from Gaya Town in the recently concluded assembly elections, is expected to file his nomination on the opening day of the five-day session. In the absence of a contest, he is likely to be declared elected unopposed by consensus, a practice common in Bihar when the ruling coalition enjoys a comfortable majority.
The brief winter session, running from 1 to 5 December, will begin with the swearing-in of all 243 newly elected members by Protem Speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav. Mr Yadav, a veteran Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) turned Janata Dal (United) legislator from Alamnagar in Madhepura district, was administered the oath of office by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at Raj Bhavan on Monday in a low-key ceremony.
The session will also witness the presentation of a supplementary budget by the Nitish Kumar-led government, its first major financial statement after returning to power with BJP support earlier this month.
Separately, political temperatures rose on Tuesday after BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar took a sharp dig at the Lalu Prasad family over the impending vacation of the official residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi at 10 Circular Road, Patna. In a statement laced with sarcasm, Mr Kumar advised Ms Devi to ensure that “taps, fittings and other government property are not removed” while vacating the bungalow, alluding to past controversies surrounding the Yadav family.
The remark drew swift condemnation from the RJD, with leaders accusing the BJP of indulging in petty vendetta politics even before the new government has settled in.
With the NDA commanding a clear majority and the opposition Mahagathbandhan reduced to 38 seats, the forthcoming session is expected to be largely procedural, setting the stage for the formal election of the permanent Speaker and the passage of urgent financial business before the House adjourns sine die on 5 December.
