Nitish Kumar to Take Oath as Bihar Chief Minister After NDA Legislature Party’s Unanimous Pick
New Delhi: Nitish Kumar was elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislature party on Wednesday (November 19) paving the way for him to be sworn-in as Bihar chief minister for the tenth time on Thursday (November 20).
Earlier in the day, the Janata Dal (United) unanimously named him as the legislature party’s leader, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a separate meeting named Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha as the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party.
Both had served as Nitish’s deputy chief ministers in the outgoing government.
The NDA has returned to power in the state by winning 202 of the 243 seats in the state assembly elections, the results for which were declared last week. While the BJP has emerged as the single party winning 89 seats, the JD(U) won 85. Other NDA constituents also secured seats, with Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) winning 19 seats, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha winning five and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, four seats.
Following the NDA legislature party meeting, JD(U) MP and the party's working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said that Nitish was unanimously elected in the meeting held at the Bihar legislative assembly.
"We are confident that under your skilful and experienced leadership, the NDA's double-engine government will swiftly propel Bihar forward on the path to becoming a developed and self-reliant state," he said in a statement.
After he was elected as the NDA’s legislature party leader, Nitish, accompanied by his NDA allies, met governor Arif Mohammad Khan and staked claim to form the government.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Thursday, November 20, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Patna | Nitish Kumar stakes claim to form government in Bihar. He was elected as the leader of the NDA legislature party today pic.twitter.com/5zwGFpOpAK
— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2025
"Once again, in the NDA legislative party meeting, chief minister Nitish Kumar was elected as the leader of the NDA legislative party. The way in which the people of Bihar gave a massive mandate to the NDA candidates, to the ideals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the experience of CM Nitish Kumar and by trusting 'Bihar
First, Bihari First', it is now our responsibility to meet the trust of people,” said Union minister Chirag Paswan.
This article went live on November nineteenth, two thousand twenty five, at ten minutes past eight in the evening.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
