India, April 12 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday appointed Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the central observer for the election of the Bihar Legislature Party leader, a key step towards government formation in the state.

The decision was taken by the party's parliamentary board, according to an official press release issued by BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh. Chouhan, who currently serves as Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, has been entrusted with overseeing the process of electing the party's leader in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

The appointment of Chouhan as the central observer sets in motion the formal process for government formation in the state. Party sources...