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Nitish to be sworn in at 1700 IST

Special Correspondent in Patna

Governor Vinod Chandra Pande today invited senior Samata Party leader Nitish Kumar to form a government in Bihar. Kumar is the National Democratic Alliance legislature wing leader in Bihar.

Kumar will take oath as the new chief minister at 1700 IST.

Raj Bhavan sources said Kumar had been asked to prove his majority on the floor of the house within a week.

Following the invitation, Kumar today resigned from the Union Cabinet as agriculture minister.

Kumar sent his resignation to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee through Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh.

Kumar told UNI that he was invited by the governor to form the new government when he called on Pande earlier in the morning.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and the Congress party have criticised the governor's decision. The Congress, which has sent a letter to the governor extending support to the RJD, said the governor's decision was ''unconstitutional''.

In New Delhi, an emergency Congress Working Committee meeting has been called to discuss the issue. Sources said several Congress leaders were angry with the governor's decision.

Laloo returned to Patna this morning.

He abruptly ended his long wait last night in New Delhi for his counterpart in the Congress, Sonia Gandhi.

He flew back to Patna when the Congress chief failed to return from Madhya Pradesh, creating a trail of suspense in political circles.

Laloo-Congress talks on forming Bihar government begin

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