The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising the BJP-JDU will take charge on Monday in Bihar. The new government will be headed by JDU president Nitish Kumar. This will be the Nitish's fourth consecutive term as the Chief Minister of Bihar. He will take oath as the Bihar CM for a record seventh time  in a row.

The announcement of Nitish's as the leader of alliance came after a meeting which was attended by senior NDA leaders in Patna. The meeting took place at 1, Anney Marg, the Chief Minister's official residence. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who had been sent from Delhi as the observer for the BJP.

"Nitish Kumar was unanimously elected as the NDA legislature party leader. Our MLAs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi were respectively elected as the leader and deputy leader of the BJP legislature party," Rajnath told reporters on Sunday.

Nitish Kumar to take oath at Raj Bhawan

Nitish Kumar, who met Governor Phagu Chauhan along with leaders like BJP's Bihar unit president Sanjay Jaiswal to stake claim for the formation of a new government, said the swearing in would take place on Monday between 4 and 4.30 PM at the Raj Bhawan. 

The alliance returned to power in the state with 125 seats, three more than the halfway mark of 122 in the 243-member Legislative Assembly. The BJP is single largest party in the alliance with 74 seats while the JDU secured 43 seats. Other NDA constituents Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) won four seats each.

According to a PTI report, while the NDA on Sunday chose Nitish for another term, suspense hung over the fate of his most trusted man in the BJP Sushil Kumar Modi who has served as his deputy since 2005, barring a period of four years from 2013 to 2017. Rajnath who was accompanied by Sushil Kumar for most part of his day-long visit, however ducked queries about who would be the new Deputy CM. "You will come to know about it at an appropriate time," the Union minister said.

Tarkishore Prasad to be Nitish's deputy? 

Sushil Kumar, however, himself dropped ample hints that he will not return as the deputy CM. He also congratulated Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi and came out with a cryptic tweet about his own future in the BJP. "Few might have got from the BJP and the RSS as much as I did in my 40 years of political career. I will fulfill whatever responsibility that comes my way in future. Nobody can, after, all, snatch away from me the post of a party worker," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, there are speculations that Bihar might go for two Deputy CMs like in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. The names of Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi kept doing the rounds for the Deputy CMs post.

Tarkishore is a Vaishya and is known to be close to Sushil Kumar. Renu Devi, formerly the party's national vice president, comes from the Noniya caste, which is an extremely backward class community. 

READ MORE: Bihar likely to get two deputy chief ministers

Speculations about Tarkishore grew stronger late in the evening as he drove to the Chief Minister's office alongside BJP national general secretary in charge of the state Bhupendra Yadav and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis who was made the party's in charge for the assembly elections. His residence in Katihar was also abuzz with murmurs of "badi zimmedari" (big responsibility) even as family members were busy lighting candles by way of celebration.

"I shall function in whatever capacity my party asks me to," he told reporters when asked whether he will succeed Shisil Kumar.

Speculations are also rife that the BJP will insist on having a greater share in the Cabinet and one of its members as the Speaker. The Speaker's post has been with the JDU ever since he took over a decade and a half ago. From the HAM, Jitan Ram Manjhi has ruled himself out of joining the new ministry and is said to be lobbying for his son Santosh Suman. Santosh is a member of the Legislative Council. The VIP led by Mukesh Sahni is also eyeing berths in the Cabinet but interestingly the former Bollywood set designer lost from elections from Simri Bakhtiyarpur.