A Historic Decade of Leadership Begins Anew
In a ceremony steeped in political significance, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 10th time on Thursday at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan. The 74-year-old leader, who has dominated Bihar's political landscape for over 19 years, took the oath of office administered by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Grand Ceremony and Power Dynamics
The event witnessed the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers from several NDA-ruled states. PM Modi's charismatic gesture of swirling his trademark 'gamchha' above his head electrified the crowd, reinforcing his bond with the people of Bihar.
Following the ceremony, Nitish Kumar expressed his commitment to Bihar's development through a post on X. "With the resolve for all-round development of Bihar, the NDA government in the state will work with full commitment... I am confident that with the cooperation and blessings of the people, Bihar will be included in the category of the most developed states in the country," he wrote in Hindi.
Strategic Cabinet Formation and Social Balance
A total of 26 ministers took oath alongside the Chief Minister, representing the five-party alliance that includes BJP, JD(U), LJP (RV), HAM(S) and RLM. The BJP, having emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 243-member assembly, secured the lion's share with 14 ministerial positions, marking its transition from junior partner to dominant force within the coalition.
The cabinet composition demonstrates a careful balancing act:
- JD(U) received eight ministerial positions
- LJP(RV) secured two ministers
- HAM(S) and RLM got one minister each
The new cabinet reflects strategic social engineering with:
- Five Dalit representatives
- Eight from upper castes
- Three Yadav members
- Three women ministers ensuring gender representation
Notable appointments include Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha as Deputy Chief Ministers. The inclusion of fresh faces like shooter-turned-MLA Shreyasi Singh and Aurai MLA Rama Nishad signifies the coalition's outreach to diverse communities, including the EBC Mallah community.
Political analysts view this carefully crafted cabinet as evidence of Nitish Kumar's enduring strategy to maintain social equilibrium within the ruling alliance while adapting to the BJP's enhanced influence in the state's power structure.
