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Patna: Supremo Nitish Kumar will take oath as the Chief Minister at Gandhi Maidan on Thursday at 11.30 am, this is the tenth time he has held the top post of the state. Chief Ministers of many NDA ruled states including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to attend this function. The event, to be held at the historic Gandhi Maidan, is likely to be one of the largest political gatherings in recent years.
Apart from Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will attend the ceremony. Their presence underlines the political significance of Nitish Kumar’s new mandate and the consolidated strength of the NDA in Bihar.
Considering the possibility of more than three lakh people being present in this program, elaborate security arrangements have been made. The administration has deployed additional police forces, installed surveillance cameras and kept emergency medical units on standby to ensure smooth conduct of the celebrations.
On Wednesday, Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation as the outgoing chief minister to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, paving the way for the formation of the new government. During the visit, he was also accompanied by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Kumar was formally elected as the leader of the NDA legislature party during the meeting of newly elected MLAs. Senior leader Samrat Choudhary was elected the leader of the BJP legislature party, while Vijay Kumar Sinha was elected the deputy leader. Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was appointed BJP’s central observer for the selection of the legislature party leader in Bihar, was present during the discussion and played an important role in the proceedings.
Several JD(U) leaders are expected to be inducted into the new Cabinet. Likely candidates include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Shrawan Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Lesi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Madan Sahni, Ratnesh Sada, Mohammad Zama Khan, Jayant Raj, Umesh Singh Kushwaha, and Ashok Choudhary. On the BJP side, leaders likely to continue in ministerial roles include Samrat Choudhary, Prem Kumar, Mangal Pandey, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Nitish Mishra, Renu Devi, Jibesh Kumar, Neeraj Kumar Singh, Janak Ram, Hari Sahni, Kedar Prasad Gupta, Surendra Mehta, Santosh Kumar Singh, Sunil Kumar, and Motil Lal Prasad.
Nitish Kumar’s political journey spans four decades and is marked by dramatic alliances, bold decisions and a reputation for strategic flexibility. His career began in the Janata Dal, where he won his first assembly election in 1985. During his early years, he worked closely with Lalu Prasad Yadav and supported him when Lalu Prasad Yadav became the leader of the opposition in 1989. However, the partnership gradually broke down as Nitish and many allies became frustrated with Lalu’s centralized control over the party.
In 1994, Nitish played a significant but insignificant role in one of the first major rebellions against Lalu Prasad. A group of 14 MPs, publicly led by George Fernandes but strategically driven by Nitish, broke away to form the Janata Dal (George). This faction soon evolved into the Samata Party, marking Nitish Kumar’s first decisive political separation from Lalu and his initial attempt to carve out an independent political identity.
His next major change came in 1996, when he formed an alliance with the BJP, beginning a long and often turbulent partnership. His performance and administrative skills earned him key ministerial roles in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government between 1998 and 2004, including the important portfolio of Railway Minister, where he was widely credited for initiating several reforms.
Nitish’s first brief stint as chief minister came in 2000 with the support of the BJP. However, his government fell within seven days due to lack of the required numbers. He made a strong comeback in 2005, ending the 15-year rule of Lalu Prasad Yadav and ushering in what many analysts call Bihar’s “reconstruction era”. For almost a decade, Nitish Kumar ruled without any significant political challenge.
The stability ended in 2013, when Nitish broke ties with the BJP after PM Narendra Modi was declared the party’s prime ministerial candidate. The decision was framed as an ideological stance, but resulted in political instability within the state and weakening of the JD(U).
In a major comeback move in 2015, Nitish teamed up with Lalu Prasad Yadav to form the Grand Alliance, a grand alliance that defeated the BJP and returned them to power. However, the revived partnership again proved short-lived. In 2017, citing allegations of corruption within the alliance, Nitish abruptly withdrew from the alliance and returned to the BJP-led NDA, earning a national reputation as a leader willing to make a sudden political U-turn.
Accusing BJP of trying to break JDU in 2022, he again left NDA and joined the Grand Alliance. But this chapter lasted only for two years. With the 2024 general elections approaching, Nitish once again returned to the NDA, a move described by his critics as predictable but by his supporters as pragmatic.
In 2025, his political calculations seem to be working once again. With his alliance firmly established and electoral support renewed, Nitish Kumar is set to be sworn in as chief minister for the tenth time, cementing his status as one of India’s most enduring – and unpredictable – political figures.
–IANS