Nitish Kumar Sworn In As Chief Minister Again In Grand Ceremony

Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the tenth time on Thursday, in a ceremony that underscored the NDA’s show of strength at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan.

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office and secrecy. The event marked a major political milestone, reinforcing Nitish Kumar’s long-standing leadership and influence in Bihar’s political landscape.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Patna around 11 AM and flew directly to the venue by helicopter.

His presence made the occasion particularly significant, as this is the first time he has attended Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in, despite the JD(U) leader taking oath five times since PM Modi became Prime Minister in 2014.

Historical Political Journey

Nitish Kumar’s political career reached another high point as he took the oath at 11.30 AM for his tenth term.

He first held the Chief Minister’s post in 2000, albeit for only seven days.

Since 2005, he has taken the oath nine consecutive times, navigating periods of alliance with both the NDA and the Grand Alliance, and emerging once again to lead an NDA government.

Deputy Chief Ministers and New Cabinet

Following Nitish Kumar, Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. A prominent BJP leader and winning MLA from Tarapur, he has now taken charge in his new role within the state government.

Vijay Sinha, elected as the BJP’s legislative party deputy leader, took oath soon after and assumed charge as Deputy Chief Minister.

Several key ministers took oath alongside the Chief Minister, including Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Mangal Pandey, Dilip Jaiswal, Shravan Kumar, and Bijendra Yadav.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all newly inducted ministers following the ceremony, signalling support for the new NDA government.

The oath ceremony followed a dramatic day of political activity on Wednesday.

At around 5 PM, Nitish Kumar visited Raj Bhavan to stake his claim to form the new government.

He presented letters of support from 202 NDA MLAs and submitted his resignation as the outgoing Chief Minister.

In response, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan dissolved the 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly and invited him to form the new government.

Earlier in the day, JD(U) legislators elected Nitish Kumar as their leader, while the BJP named Samrat Choudhary as its legislative leader and Vijay Sinha as deputy leader, paving the way for their appointments as Deputy Chief Ministers.

With the formation of the new government, the NDA has reaffirmed its cohesion and political authority in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar’s tenth oath marks the beginning of a new phase in the state’s governance, backed by strong