New Delhi: In a major jolt to I.N.D.I.A alliance ahead of forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Janata Dal (United) stalwart Nitish Kumar resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar this morning.

Shortly after submitting his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Patna in Bihar, Nitish Kumar also staked claim to form the new State Government in alliance with BJP.

Nitish and his two deputies from BJP — Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha — are likely to take oath this evening, it is said.

He has also submitted BJP’s letter of support of 78 MLAs in 243-member Bihar Assembly. While JD(U) has 45 MLAs, four MLAs of (HAM) and one independent are also a part of the new alliance.