The political course for Bihar has been decisively set: Nitish Kumar will return as Chief Minister. The veteran leader was unanimously elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Legislative Party on Wednesday, a crucial step just one day before the grand swearing-in ceremony.
The announcement was made following a consensus meeting, attended by leaders of all alliance partners, including the BJP’s newly elected legislative leader Samrat Choudhary and deputy leader Vijay Kumar Sinha, as well as LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan and Bihar BJP President Dilip Kumar Jaiswal.
A Record-Breaking Mandate and Term
The election comes on the back of the NDA’s sweeping victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, where the alliance secured a colossal 202 seats in the 243-member assembly, marking a three-fourths majority.
- BJP secured the highest tally with 89 seats.
- The JD(U), led by Nitish Kumar, secured 85 seats.
- The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) won 19 seats, a significant performance.
Earlier in the day, Kumar was also unanimously chosen as the leader of the JD(U) Legislative Party at his residence.
Resignation and Swearing-in Details
Nitish Kumar is expected to submit his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan today as the head of the outgoing government. He will then stake claim to form the new government, paving the way for his tenth term as Bihar Chief Minister.
The swearing-in ceremony, which BJP leaders promise will be a “historic” affair, is scheduled for Thursday, November 20.
BJP Leader Prem Kumar: “It will be a historic oath-taking ceremony tomorrow as PM Modi and CMs of all states will be attending it.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Ministers from various NDA-ruled states are all slated to attend the event in Patna, underscoring the national significance of the Bihar mandate.