Patna, Bihar: Nitish Kumar has been elected as the leader of the Janata Dal (United) [JDU] legislature party, paving the way for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form the government in Bihar on November 20. The election of Nitish Kumar as JD(U) legislature party leader took place during a meeting of newly elected MLAs at his residence in Patna on Wednesday. Following this, Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] leader Samrat Choudhary was chosen as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Bihar, with Vijay Sinha as his deputy.
The NDA is set to formally elect Nitish Kumar as its leader in a meeting scheduled later today. Following this, he is expected to meet Governor Arif Mohammad Khan to stake his claim to form the government. Kumar will also tender his resignation as the head of the outgoing government and submit letters of support from all NDA constituents to the Governor.
The oath-taking ceremony for the new government is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. The event is expected to be a grand affair, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, several Union ministers, and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states in attendance. BJP leader Prem Kumar emphasized the historic nature of the event, given the high-profile attendees.
Nitish Kumar is poised to take oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record 10th time. Sources suggest several ministers will be sworn in alongside Kumar on Thursday. From the BJP, potential cabinet ministers include Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Mangal Pandey, Nitish Mishra, Renu Devi, and Nitin Nabin. The JDU may see Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shrawan Kumar, Ashok Choudhary, and Leshi Singh inducted into the cabinet. The LJP(RV), HAM, and RLM are also expected to be accommodated in the Bihar Cabinet.
The NDA secured a decisive victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, winning 202 seats in the 243-member assembly. The BJP secured 89 seats, while the JDU won 85. Other NDA constituents include the LJP(RV) with 19 seats, HAM(S) with 5, and RLM with 4. The Mahagathbandhan, on the other hand, was restricted to 35 seats, with the RJD winning 25 seats.
The current term of the Bihar Assembly ends on November 22, and the 18th Assembly will be constituted on or before that date. The dissolution of the current Assembly is expected on Wednesday.
