The political process for forming the next government in Bihar is nearing completion, with Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar scheduled to resign today to officially kickstart the formation of the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) administration.
Sources indicate that the swearing-in ceremony will be a major show of strength, taking place at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna at 11 am on Thursday, November 20. It is highly anticipated that Nitish Kumar will return as Chief Minister for a record tenth time, though official confirmation is pending the NDA legislature party meeting.
The Road to Swearing-In
The two major alliance partners, the BJP (89 seats) and the JD(U) (85 seats), are meeting today to finalize key decisions:
- Resignation: Nitish Kumar is expected to be elected as the leader of the JD(U) legislature party at 11 am today, followed by his election as the leader of the unified NDA at 3:30 pm. He will then submit his resignation as the head of the outgoing government to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
- New Government Formation: Following his resignation, Kumar will submit a letter of support from all 202 NDA MLAs to the Governor, staking claim to form the new government before the term of the 17th Assembly officially ends on November 22.
- Ceremony: The oath-taking event on Thursday is set to be one of the largest so far, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states confirmed to be in attendance.
Cabinet Formula and Portfolio Tussles
The formula for ministerial positions has been finalized based on the massive NDA mandate (202 seats), using a “roughly one minister for every six MLAs” arrangement. With a maximum constitutional limit of 36 ministers, the berths are expected to be distributed as follows:
| Party | Expected Seats Won | Projected Ministerial Berths |
| BJP | 89 | 15 – 16 |
| JD(U) | 85 | 14 |
| LJP (Ram Vilas) | 19 | 3 |
| HAM(S) & RLM | 9 (5 & 4) | 1 each |
Sources suggest that while the BJP will likely hold the lion’s share of the cabinet, negotiations are underway for key portfolios. Both the BJP and JD(U) are reportedly eyeing the crucial Home portfolio (held by the JD(U) last term), as well as the Education ministry.
Additionally, the role of Deputy Chief Minister is a point of discussion. While the outgoing government had two Deputy CMs (Samrat Choudhury and Vijay Kumar Sinha), the JD(U) is reportedly pushing for only one Deputy CM, especially if the BJP takes the Speaker’s post.
A senior NDA leader hinted at “surprise elements” in the new cabinet, suggesting a focus on blending youth and experience while maintaining social and caste representation following the strong mandate.