JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record 10th time Thursday at Patana’s historic Gandhi Maidan, days after leading the NDA to a decisive Assembly election victory. The 74-year-old socialist leader, whose political relevance faced repeated questioning during the campaign, was sworn in alongside BJP’s Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha as Deputy Chief Ministers.
Nitish Kumar Ministerial Oath-Taking Ceremony
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered oaths to the trio and 24 additional ministers in the presence of prominent BJP and NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Pre-Ceremony Leadership Elections
Wednesday saw Kumar unanimously elected as leader of both the JD(U) Legislature Party during a meeting with newly elected MLAs at his official residence, and the NDA Legislature Party, solidifying his position as the alliance’s governmental head.
Simultaneously, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were elected leader and deputy leader respectively of the BJP Legislature Party at the state headquarters. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, serving as central observer for the leadership election, proposed their names, receiving full MLA support.
Overwhelming Electoral Mandate
Nitish Kumar met Governor Khan on Wednesday, tendered his resignation from the previous government, and staked claim to form a new administration after the NDA secured 202 of 243 Assembly seats. This marked only the second time the alliance crossed 200 seats; in 2010, it captured 206. The opposition Mahagathbandhan managed merely 35 seats.
Seat Distribution
The NDA’s tally comprised BJP (89 seats), JD(U) (85), LJP Ram Vilas (19), HAMS (5), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (4). Opposition results showed RJD (25), Congress (6), CPI(ML)(L) (2), IIP (1), and CPI(M) (1). AIMIM secured five seats while BSP won one.
Historic Voter Turnout
Elections conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11 recorded 67.13% voter turnout—the highest since 1951. Women voters demonstrated exceptional participation at 71.6% compared to 62.8% among men.
The swearing-in ceremony marks Kumar’s continued dominance in Bihar politics despite persistent challenges to his leadership, reinforcing his position as one of India’s most enduring regional political figures.
