2 BJP Dy CMs Probable in Bihar; Sushil Modi Likely to Step Down

The names of Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi have come up as dual contenders for the post of deputy CM.

With the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) set to form the government in Bihar, the suspense has now shifted to the post of the deputy chief minister, with reports saying there will be two post-holders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time around.

The names of Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi have come up as dual contenders for the post, after the two were elected the leader and deputy leader respectively of the BJP legislature party. “There are indications that Renu ji and I will take oath as deputy chief ministers of Bihar,” Prasad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Monday, 16 November.

What About Sushil Kumar Modi?

The speculation started when current deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi posted a cryptic tweet in Hindi, saying, "The BJP and the Sangh Parivar have given me so much in my political life of 40 years that maybe no else would have got. I will discharge whatever responsibility that is given in the future. No one can take away the post of the worker.”

भाजपा एवं संघ परिवार ने मुझे ४० वर्षों के राजनीतिक जीवन में इतना दिया की शायद किसी दूसरे को नहीं मिला होगा।आगे भी जो ज़िम्मेवारी मिलेगी उसका निर्वहन करूँगा।कार्यकर्ता का पद तो कोई छीन नहीं सकता।

— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) November 15, 2020

Responding to this tweet, BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "Respected Sushil ji, you are a leader, you had the post of deputy chief minister. In the future too, you will be a leader of BJP, no one gets bigger or smaller by a post."

आदरणीय सुशील जी आप नेता हैं, उप मुख्यमंत्री का पद आपके पास था, आगे भी आप भाजपा के नेता रहेंगे ,पद से कोई छोटा बड़ा नहीं होता । https://t.co/Poh8CDODOw

— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) November 15, 2020

Who Will Be the Next Deputy Chief Minister?

As Sushil Modi congratulated Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi on Twitter, speculation became rife that the BJP might be mulling the idea of having two deputy CMs in the state, a model similar to that of Uttar Pradesh.

According to several reports, another contender for the post was Dalit leader Kameshwar Chaupal, who is currently serving as a member of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United)’s Nitish Kumar is all set to be sworn-in as the chief minister of Bihar for the fourth term on Monday. This comes after the NDA notched up 125 seats in 243-member Bihar Assembly to register a win in the state. However, it was the BJP which emerged as the ‘big brother’ in the alliance, winning 74 seats as compared to the JD(U)’s 43.