In a historic political moment, Nitish Kumar is poised to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for an unprecedented tenth time, cementing his position as one of India's most enduring political leaders. The ceremony comes just days after the National Democratic Alliance secured a massive victory in the state assembly elections, winning 202 out of 243 seats.
Grand Swearing-In Ceremony Details
The oath-taking event is scheduled for 11:30 AM at Patna's iconic Gandhi Maidan, marking the fourth time Kumar will take his chief ministerial oath at this historic venue since 2005. The ceremony is expected to draw over three lakh attendees, with elaborate security arrangements already in place to manage the massive gathering.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda are among the top dignitaries confirmed to attend the high-profile event. They will be joined by key NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh, and several other chief ministers from NDA-ruled states.
Government Formation and Cabinet Composition
The political process began on Wednesday when Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) supremo, submitted his resignation as outgoing chief minister to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. He was accompanied by Union minister Chirag Paswan, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha and Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya during this formal proceeding.
Following his election as the leader of the NDA legislature party, Kumar staked his claim to form the next government. The new cabinet will see BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha continuing as deputy chief ministers, maintaining the power-sharing arrangement from the previous government.
The cabinet formation involves careful balancing among NDA allies, with at least 20 ministers expected to take oath alongside Kumar. The allocation includes 16 ministers from BJP and 14 from JD(U), including the chief minister himself. Smaller alliance partners LJP(RV) led by Chirag Paswan will get three berths, while HAM-S and RLM will receive one ministerial position each.
New Faces and Continuations
The new cabinet will feature five to six new faces from the main NDA constituents. From JD(U), Umesh Singh Kushwaha, the party's state chief who won from Mahnar assembly constituency, is likely to be inducted. Other probable JD(U) inductees include Rahul Kumar Singh, Sudhanshu Shekhar, Kaladhar Prasad Mandal, and Panna Lal Singh Patel.
BJP is expected to bring in fresh talent including former IPS officer Anand Mishra (elected from Buxar), Rana Randhir, Gayatri Devi, and Vijay Kumar Khemka. Ministers likely to continue from the previous government include Samrat Choudhary, Prem Kumar, Mangal Pandey, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Renu Devi among others.
A consensus has been reached to appoint BJP's Prem Kumar as the Assembly Speaker, while the Deputy Speaker's post is likely to go to JD(U), completing the organizational structure of the new legislative assembly.
This political development underscores Kumar's remarkable resilience in Bihar politics and the NDA's dominant position in the state. The massive mandate reflects significant voter confidence in the alliance's governance approach and sets the stage for another term under Kumar's leadership.
