Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar will resign on November 19 to facilitate the establishment of a new NDA government, which is anticipated to take the oath the following day at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Although there has been no official declaration regarding his return as chief minister, comments from alliance leaders strongly suggest that he will once again assume leadership, with indications of unexpected additions in the new cabinet. The current term of the Bihar assembly concludes on November 22, making this transition timely. The swearing-in ceremony on November 20 is being planned as a significant national event, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders expected to attend.
Kumar met with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday to inform him of the cabinet’s recommendation for dissolving the outgoing assembly. JD(U) minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhary affirmed that Kumar will submit his resignation on November 19, initiating the formal process for the next government formation. Both the BJP and JD(U) will convene key legislature party meetings on Wednesday to finalize leadership roles and deliberate on potential candidates for the deputy chief minister position. Kumar is anticipated to first be elected as the JD(U) legislature party leader at 11 am, followed by his election as NDA leader at 3:30 pm, before he presents his resignation and the alliance’s support letter to the governor.
The decision regarding the appointment of one or two deputy chief ministers is still under consideration. In the previous government, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha occupied these roles. Internal discussions will consider caste and gender representation, with JD(U) reportedly favoring a single deputy chief minister if the BJP takes the Speaker’s position. Insiders suggest that the new cabinet may feature some ‘surprise elements,’ balancing youth with experience while ensuring social representation. A distribution formula of one minister for approximately every six MLAs is being contemplated, potentially allocating one position each to RLM and HAM(S), three to LJP(RV), and the remaining 30–31 to BJP and JD(U). Bihar’s assembly, composed of 243 members, allows for a maximum of 36 ministers.
Should Nitish Kumar take the oath again, it would signify his 10th term as chief minister, positioning him among the state’s longest-serving leaders. The ceremony at Gandhi Maidan will mark the fourth event held there, excluding the scaled-down 2020 ceremony due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ongoing negotiations between BJP and JD(U) focus on key portfolios, particularly home and education, which were previously held by JD(U). The NDA recently achieved a decisive victory in the assembly elections, securing 202 out of 243 seats, with BJP winning 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM(S) 5, and RLM 4, while the Mahagathbandhan was reduced to only 35 seats.
