Patna, Nov 11 (PTI): Having secured a decisive mandate in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said that the formal process for government formation will start on November 14, when the state Cabinet will meet and recommend the dissolution of the present House.

A legislature party of the grand alliance will be held in the afternoon of November 14 to elect a new leader and decide the date and venue for the oath-taking ceremony, Nitish Kumar told reporters at Raj Bhawan, where he had gone to greet Governor Ram Nath Kovind for Diwali.

Nitish Kumar said that after Saturday's legislature party meeting, the alliance would formally stake claim to forming the government.

To a question regarding the possibility of an RJD leader becoming Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Kumar was non-committal and said that "everything will be told to you in time... why this anxiety before time?" Speculation is rife that somebody from Lalu Prasad's family could be made the Deputy Chief Minister.

RJD is the biggest partner in the grand alliance with 80 out of the cumulative 178 seats the grouping has won in the 243-member House. JD(U) has 71 MLAs and Congress 27.

The official date for the swearing-in ceremony for the new government would be announced only on November 14, Mr Kumar said.

Reports backed by some senior members of JD(U) have indicated November 20 as the "most likely date" for the oath-taking ceremony at Nitish Kumar's favourite venue, Gandhi Maidan.