Nitish Kumar Sworn In As Bihar Chief Minister For Record 10th Time With 19 Ministers

Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record 10th time at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan on Thursday morning.

The JDU leader, whose critics had dismissed him as too old and unfit for power, celebrated a triumphant victory following last week's Assembly election. His Janata Dal United party secured 85 of the state's 243 seats, helping propel the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to a landslide win with 202 seats total.

The swearing-in ceremony doubled as a show of strength for the NDA, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states and allied territories in attendance. Shortly after the ceremony, the Prime Minister posted on X: "My best wishes to all those who have taken oath as ministers in the Bihar government. This is a wonderful team, with dedicated leaders who will take Bihar to new heights..."

Critics have noted Kumar's political longevity stems from his remarkable ability to remain in power by reconfiguring alliances when necessary. He already ranks as the eighth longest-serving chief minister in India, and should he complete this term, he will become the longest-serving ever, surpassing Sikkim's Pawan Chamling's 24-year record.

Nineteen MLAs were also sworn in alongside Kumar, forming the core of the new government with an emphasis on experienced leadership. BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Sinha, and Dilip Jaiswal were among the first to take their oaths. Choudhary and Sinha, who served as Kumar's deputies in the previous administration, may continue in these roles for the next five years, while Jaiswal previously held the position of Revenue Minister briefly.

Additional BJP leaders taking oaths included Sanjay Kumar Singh, Pramod Kumar, and Lakhendra Raushan. Pramod Kumar formerly served as Bihar's Law, Sugarcane, and Art and Culture Minister.

The BJP also nominated Rama Nishad, Narayan Prasad, Surendra Mehata, Arun Shankar Prasad, and Sanjay 'Tiger' Singh. Additionally, competitive shooter and two-time MLA Shreyasi Singh, the 34-year-old Commonwealth Games gold medalist who retained her Jamui seat, earned a promotion to minister.

Senior leader Ram Kripal Yadav, who previously worked with both the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the JDU and served as a union minister and Lok Sabha MP, was also sworn in, as was former Roadways Minister Nitin Nabin.

With 14 representatives, the BJP, which narrowly maintained its position as the dominant partner after winning 89 seats, secured the majority of cabinet positions. The Janata Dal United will have six ministers.

The JDU's ministerial lineup was headed by Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shrawon Kumar, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, and Ashok Choudhary. Yadav previously served as Energy Minister, Kumar as Minister for Rural Development, Chaudhary led the Water Resources ministry, and Choudhary managed Rural Works Development.

Mohd Zama Khan, the former Minorities Welfare Minister, was also reinstated.

Five-term JDU MLA Leshi Singh, previously Consumer Protection Minister; former Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni; and two-time lawmaker from Bhore, Sunil Kumar, were also included in the cabinet.

Three smaller coalition partners each received one ministerial position: Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Manch.

From the RLM and HAM, party leaders' sons – Deepak Prakash and Santosh Manjhi – took their oaths. Both are members of the Legislative Council. This will be Prakash's first ministerial role, while Manjhi previously served briefly as Minister for Information Technology and Disaster Management.