Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi played mediator in the formation of a new government in Bihar, Mahagathbandhan, party MLAs told India Today. JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar chief minister for a record eighth time in a no-frills ceremony at Raj Bhavan after snapping ties with the BJP-led NDA and joining hands with the RJD to form a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Sources had told news agency PTI that Nitish Kumar spoke to both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi soon after resigning from his post of chief minister. He also learnt to have thanked the Congress leadership for extending support in the formation of the new government.
'SONIA GANDHI PLAYED MEDIATOR'
"The way Madam Sonia Gandhi played the role of mediator in forging the alliance between Mahagathbandhan and JD(U) makes me very proud. Sonia Gandhi played a crucial role by intervening in the political situation in the state and helped in the formation of a new government in the state," Congress MLA Pratima Das told India Today TV.
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"As far as allocation of ministerial berths is concerned, Congress leaders should leave that decision to the party's top brass. In a democratic set up, everyone has the right to speak and party high command is keeping an eye on the developments and they will take a final call," she added.
Giving a statement about being made her own minister, Pratima Das said that she is not making any claim from her side. But the party high command is keeping an eye on everything. And the decision of the high command is paramount.
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MAKE ME MINISTER, SAYS CONG MLA
Congress MLAs in the state have been locked in a stiff competition to get the ministerial berths since the change of guard in Bihar. Ajeet Sharma, a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, has said that the party should get at least four ministerial berths.
On the other hand, Congress’s Khagaria MLA Chhatrapati Yadav has written a letter to Sonia Gandhi saying that he should be made a minister as he belongs to the 'Yadav' community.
Congress leader Ajeet Sharma has demanded that the party has the right to get at least four berths due to the number of MLAs. The party's in-charge of Bihar affairs, Bhakta Charan Das, has left for Delhi to participate in a meeting with the top brass and decide on the names of party leaders who will be inducted in the Bihar cabinet. Congress MLAs Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Santish Mishra and several other MLAs are in the national capital to meet the high command.
The Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government will face a floor test to prove its majority in the Bihar Assembly on August 24. Sources said that the Bihar Cabinet expansion is likely to happen on August 16.
Relations between the BJP and the JD(U) worsened in the wake of disagreements over a host of issues including caste census, population control and the 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme.
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Source https://www.globalcourant.com/as-nitish-kumar-takes-charge-of-bihar-congress-says-sonia-gandhi-played-key-role-to-form-mahagathbandhan/?feed_id=9790&_unique_id=62f5d93435e45
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