Nitish likely to resign as Bihar CM after cabinet meeting on April 14

Bihar moved closer to a political transition as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened a cabinet meeting on April 14, after which he is likely to resign, paving the way for a BJP-led government.
The meeting is scheduled for 11 am, following which Kumar, recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, is expected to submit his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain.
JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha said the process of forming a new government would begin after April 13. The BJP has appointed Shivraj Singh Chouhan as central observer to oversee the election of the legislature party leader. Senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said the NDA would elect the new CM on BJP’s recommendation. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary is seen as the frontrunner, though names like Nityanand Rai, Lakhendra Paswan and Shreyasi Singh are also in circulation.
BJP leaders have remained guarded, with Dilip Jaiswal saying the final decision rests with the central leadership. Party sources say caste equations and political balance will play a key role, though there is also speculation that the leadership could spring a surprise candidate, as seen in some other BJP-ruled states in recent years.