Nitish Kumar to Take Oath as Bihar CM; NDA Cabinet in Focus
Nitish Kumar to Take Oath as Bihar CM; NDA Cabinet in Focus
Bihar gears up for a high-stakes oath ceremony as Nitish Kumar returns for a record 10th term, with the NDA finalizing cabinet berths ahead of Nov 20.
Bihar is poised for a formal transition as the NDA partners finalize the cabinet formula days after the election results. Nitish Kumar is set to resign as chief minister on November 19 and will be sworn in again on November 20 at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, marking a record 10th oath for the veteran leader.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other NDA leaders are expected to attend the ceremony, underscoring the high political importance of the event. The oath ceremony will formally launch the new government after the current assembly is dissolved.
Party insiders say the NDA aims for a balanced cabinet, roughly one minister for every six MLAs, with a mix from BJP and JD(U) among others. The coalition won 202 of 243 seats: BJP 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5, RLM 4.
Central observers have been appointed to oversee the cabinet allocation. Keshav Prasad Maurya of Uttar Pradesh has been named central observer for the election of the leader of the party’s legislative group; Arjun Ram Meghwal and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have been appointed as central co-observers. The NDA partners are also weighing the post of Assembly Speaker, with both BJP and JD(U) seeking the role and lobbying ongoing as the transition moves forward.
Security is tight as Gandhi Maidan preparations are in full swing and a public entry ban is in place until the ceremony. Nitish Kumar is likely to be elected as the legislature party leader on November 19, a day before the oath, as part of the formal transition plan.
The oath marks the start of Bihar’s new NDA government and sets the stage for the governance agenda in the coming term, with party leaders signaling a focus on stability and policy coordination across coalition partners.
Cover image source: Bihar govt formation LIVE: Nitish Kumar to resign as CM on Nov 19, grand oath-taking ceremony on Thursday 🔗
