Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record 10th time on Thursday at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, marking a major political milestone for the Janata Dal (United) leader. The grand ceremony, which began at 11:30 am, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, senior NDA leaders, and chief ministers from several states.
A total of 18 ministers, including two deputy chief ministers, are expected to join the new cabinet.
PM Modi, Amit Shah, and Top NDA Leaders Attend
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and chief ministers from at least seven NDA-ruled states were present to witness the oath-taking ceremony.
NDA Wins Big in Bihar Assembly Elections 2025
The ceremony follows the NDA’s sweeping victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, where the alliance secured 202 out of 243 seats.
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BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats
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JD(U) won 85 seats
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Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) secured 19 seats
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Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) won 5 seats
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Rashtriya Lok Morcha secured 4 seats
Nitish Kumar Resigns, Stakes Claim Again
On Wednesday, Nitish Kumar resigned as Chief Minister of the outgoing government before staking claim to form a new NDA government. He submitted a letter of support to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and was unanimously elected as the leader of both the JD(U) and the NDA in Bihar.
Two Deputy Chief Ministers to Continue
The BJP named Samrat Choudhury as the legislature party leader and Vijay Kumar Sinha as the deputy leader, indicating both will continue as deputy chief ministers in the new government.
A senior BJP leader told HT that 18 ministers, including the two deputy CMs, would take oath alongside Nitish Kumar.
Cabinet and Portfolio Discussions Underway
NDA leaders met on Wednesday to finalize the distribution of portfolios and ministerial positions among alliance partners. Discussions also included selecting the next Speaker of the Bihar Assembly.
The final list of ministers was expected to be submitted to the Governor on Thursday morning, with leaders being informed shortly before the ceremony.
