The newly elected NDA government in Bihar will be sworn in on November 20 at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, marking the next phase of governance after the alliance’s sweeping victory in the Assembly elections. However, uncertainty continues over whether Nitish Kumar will return as Chief Minister for a record tenth term.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the ceremony, fulfilling his campaign assurance that he would “return for the swearing-in of a new NDA government.” The Prime Minister had addressed multiple rallies during the election campaign, extending strong support to the alliance.
Before the oath-taking, Nitish Kumar is scheduled to chair his final Cabinet meeting at 11:30 am. The Cabinet is likely to adopt a resolution recommending its dissolution, after which Kumar will submit his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, clearing the path for the formation of the new government. Kumar, who enjoys broad backing from NDA partners, remains the frontrunner for the top post, though no formal announcement has been made yet.
The NDA registered a dominant win, securing 202 of the 243 Assembly seats. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats, closely followed by JD(U) with 85. LJP(RV), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, claimed 19 seats, while allies Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) together won nine seats.
Meanwhile, the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan suffered a significant defeat, managing to secure only 35 seats, marking one of its poorest electoral performances in recent years.
