Nitish Kumar officially began his tenth term as Chief Minister of Bihar on Thursday, marking a historic milestone in state politics and setting the stage for what could become the longest chief ministerial tenure in independent India.

His party, the Janata Dal (United), secured a strong mandate in the recent Assembly election, winning 85 out of 243 seats and leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a decisive victory with 202 seats alongside the BJP.

BJP secures maximum berths in new cabinet

A total of 19 MLAs took oath with Nitish Kumar, forming the initial core of the new cabinet. With 89 seats, the BJP narrowly maintained its upper hand within the alliance and will hold 10 ministerial positions. The JDU will have six representatives.

Smaller allies — Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Manch — are also set to secure cabinet berths, with indications that the LJP may be offered a second seat owing to its performance.

A step toward a historic milestone

Nitish Kumar already ranks among India’s longest-serving chief ministers. If he completes this term, he will surpass former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s 24-year tenure to become the longest-serving Chief Minister in the country’s history.

JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as Bihar chief minister for a record 10th time today, marking another milestone in his decades-long political career. The ceremony at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan is set to showcase a strong show of unity by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which recently secured a sweeping mandate in the assembly elections.

NDA prepares for grand oath-taking ceremony

Final touches are underway at Gandhi Maidan, where massive arrangements have been made to accommodate VIPs, top political leaders, and an expected crowd of over three lakh people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several senior leaders from the NDA are scheduled to attend.

Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday and was asked to continue as caretaker chief minister until the new government was formed. He was elected leader of the NDA legislature party after deliberations among newly elected MLAs.

State BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal confirmed that the governor accepted the resignation and gave approval for the oath ceremony scheduled for today.

Cabinet formation: seats, faces and bargaining

Intense discussions among NDA partners continued through the day to finalise cabinet positions. According to sources, the new Bihar cabinet is likely to include:

• 16 ministers from the BJP
  
• 14 ministers from JD(U), including Nitish Kumar
  
• Representation for allies: Three berths for LJP (RV), and one each for HAM-S and RLM
  

A consensus has reportedly been reached to appoint senior BJP leader Prem Kumar as Assembly Speaker, while the Deputy Speaker’s post may go to JD(U).

JD(U)’s likely ministers

Among the JD(U) names expected to join the cabinet are:
Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Shrawan Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Lesi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Madan Sahni, Ratnesh Sada, Mohammad Zama Khan, Jayant Raj, Umesh Singh Kushwaha, Ashok Chowdhary, Rahul Kumar Singh, Sudhanshu Shekhar, Kaladhar Prasad Mandal, and Panna Lal Singh Patel.

BJP’s list of probables

Most ministers from the outgoing government are expected to be retained by the BJP. Probable new entrants include:
Anand Mishra (former IPS officer), Rana Randhir, Gayatri Devi, and Vijay Kumar Khemka.

NDA’s big win and Jan Suraaj’s reflection

The NDA secured a strong majority with 202 seats in the 243-member assembly—BJP 89, JD(U) 85, LJP (RV) 19, HAM 5, and RLM 4.

Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor said his decision not to contest the election was a “mistake” as his party received less than 4% votes. He expressed determination to continue his political efforts in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar has formally approached Bihar Governor Arif Mohd Khan to stake claim to form the next state government, setting the stage for his swearing-in as Chief Minister once again on Thursday. The Janata Dal (United) leader, whose party secured 85 seats in the recent assembly polls, is poised to begin his tenth term in office.

PM Modi expected to attend grand oath ceremony

A large-scale oath-taking ceremony is planned in Patna, where 22 ministers are expected to be sworn in alongside Nitish Kumar. Sources indicated that the event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, underscoring the NDA’s show of unity.

The ministerial list is likely to feature nine BJP MLAs, including outgoing deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha, and former deputy CM Renu Devi. Eight of the nine BJP leaders who may be included have previously served as ministers.

NDA allies to find place in the cabinet

Among the expected inductees are one MLA each from Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awami Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha. The LJP, which won 19 of its 28 seats, delivered one of the strongest strike rates in this election.

The JDU, having re-established its position as the senior partner in the alliance, is expected to claim around 10 ministerial berths, most of whom were ministers in the outgoing government.

NDA registers sweeping victory

The NDA secured a decisive win by clinching 202 of the 243 seats in the assembly. The Mahagathbandhan — comprising the RJD, Congress, VIP, and Left parties — managed only 35 seats. Compared to 2015, when the alliance won 110 seats, this marks a major slide.

Nitish Kumar set to break longevity record

Once sworn in, Nitish Kumar will extend his record as India’s eighth longest-serving chief minister and is on course to surpass former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s 24-year tenure, if he completes the upcoming term.

Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, contesting its first election, failed to win any of the 238 seats it fought and registered less than four percent of the vote share.