Nitish elected head of JD-U legislature party

Patna, Nov 14 Legislators of Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Saturday elected Nitish Kumar as their leader in the assembly, paving the way for him to become the chief minister yet again.

Nitish Kumar, who led the Grand Alliance to a victory in assembly elections, will be later elected leader of the legislature party of the three-member grouping that also includes the RJD and the Congress.

His election as the JD-U legislature party leader came some two hours after he submitted his resignation to Governor Ramnath Kovind.

"This formality is now over," JD-U state president Vashsisht Narain Singh said.

Earlier, Nitish Kumar met the governor, submitted his resignation and said the cabinet had decided to dissolve the outgoing assembly.

The governor urged him to continue as caretaker chief minister till a new government is formed.

According to JD-U leaders, Nitish Kumar will take oath as chief minister on November 20 along with a 36-member council of ministers.

The RJD emerged as the single largest party with 80 assembly seats, followed by the JD-U with 71 and the Congress with 27 seats.

There will be 16 ministers from Lalu Prasad's RJD, 15 from the JD-U and five from the Congress in the new government.