Nitish Kumar Set for Historic 10th Term as Bihar Chief Minister Following NDA's Landslide Victory

Nitish Kumar met with Bihar Governor Arif Mohd Khan on Wednesday afternoon to formally stake claim for forming the next government in Bihar, following his coalition's decisive victory in the recent elections. The Janata Dal United leader, whose party secured an impressive 85 seats—42 more than their 2015 performance—will be sworn in as Chief Minister for the tenth time at a ceremony scheduled for 1:30 PM Thursday.

Approximately 22 ministers are expected to take their oaths alongside Nitish Kumar in what promises to be a grand ceremony featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their joint appearance will serve as a powerful demonstration of unity amid speculation about tensions in the BJP-JDU alliance.

The Prime Minister's attendance will be complemented by the presence of chief ministers from various BJP-governed states across India.

The ministerial contingent will likely include nine legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Notable among these are outgoing deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha, as well as former deputy chief minister Renu Devi. Eight of these BJP representatives previously held ministerial positions.

The cabinet may also feature representatives from allied parties, including one each from Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, former Chief Minister Jitan Manjhi's Hindustan Awami Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha. The LJP delivered an exceptional electoral performance, winning 19 of its 28 contested seats—a strike rate surpassing even Nitish Kumar's JDU.

Sources indicate that the JDU, having re-established its dominant position in the partnership with BJP, is expected to secure the majority of ministerial portfolios, with approximately 10 of its MLAs joining the cabinet. Eight of these were members of the previous administration.

Barring any unexpected developments, Nitish Kumar will assume office for an unprecedented tenth term as Chief Minister.

The veteran JDU leader, whose political longevity critics attribute to his remarkable ability to remain relevant through strategic alliance shifts, already ranks as independent India's eighth longest-serving chief minister. Should he complete this term, he will surpass former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling's record of 24 years in office.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance secured a commanding victory in the Bihar elections, winning 202 seats in the 243-member assembly.

The opposition Mahagathbandhan coalition, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party led by Mukesh Sahani, and Left parties, managed to win only 35 seats. The scale of their defeat is particularly striking considering that the RJD alone had won 75 seats in 2015, with the opposition alliance then securing 110 seats overall.

Former election strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party made its electoral debut but failed to secure any of the 238 seats it contested, receiving less than four percent of the total votes. Nevertheless, Kishor has affirmed to NDTV that he intends to continue his political career.