NEW DELHI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chief Minister of the eastern Indian state of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, on Saturday joined the country's ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The decision to join Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA was taken this morning at the national executive meeting of Kumar's regional Janata Dal (United) party that governs Bihar, a spokesperson said.
The move came nearly a week after BJP chief Amit Shah had invited Bihar's Chief Minister, who is also the head of Janata Dal (United), to join the NDA in the wake of the two parties' recent alliance government in the state.
After nearly two decades of coalition, Kumar pulled out of NDA in 2013 when the BJP chose Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections.
Subsequently, Kumar formed the state government in coalition with former Bihar's Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal. But he pulled out of the coalition recently, following corruption allegations on his then Deputy Chief Minister of Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Sources said that some lawmakers of Kumar's party may also get Cabinet berths in Modi's government soon, though the final call will be taken by the prime minister. "If there is a cabinet expansion, Janata Dal (United) lawmakers could be inducted," sources said.
