Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is scheduled to submit his resignation on Wednesday, marking the formal beginning of the process for his swearing-in as Chief Minister for a record tenth term. As part of this transition, he will hand over letters of support from all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, after being unanimously elected leader of both the JD(U) legislative party and the wider NDA bloc.
The move follows a decisive NDA victory in the recent Bihar assembly elections, where the alliance secured 202 out of 243 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party within the alliance, followed by JD(U) and other smaller partners. After his resignation, Nitish is expected to dissolve the outgoing assembly, clearing the way for a full government reset.
According to officials, the formal oath-taking ceremony is slated for Thursday morning at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan. Preparations are already underway for a large-scale event, with several top NDA leaders, including members of the Union Cabinet, expected to be present. The grand setting underscores the political importance of this milestone in Bihar’s governance.
Behind the scenes, however, sharp negotiations over ministerial portfolios are intensifying. While JD(U) seeks to retain key domains, including the home ministry, the BJP is pushing for a substantial number of influential portfolios, citing its status as the single-largest party. Tensions have also reportedly arisen around the position of Speaker in the new assembly, with both parties claiming a right to the role.
Internal sources suggest that the new cabinet could include 16 ministers from the BJP and 14 from the JD(U), apart from CM Nitish. Smaller NDA partners such as the LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM, and RLM are also in the running for ministerial berths, albeit in more limited numbers.
For Nitish Kumar, this comeback underscores his enduring dominance in Bihar politics. Formally resigning and then reassuming power allows him to reset his government with a fresh mandate — a rare transition that highlights both his political resilience and his central role within the NDA alliance.
