November 20, 2025 :Bihar is set to get its new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on Thursday, November 20, as the 74-year-old is set to take oath as the state’s chief minister for a record 10th time at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
Nitish staked claim to form the next government after being elected the leader of the NDA legislature party in Bihar on Wednesday, with Samrat Choudhary being chosen as the leader of the BJP legislature party and Vijay Kumar Sinha elected as his deputy.
Several dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, are set to attend the swearing-in ceremony, scheduled to take place at 11:30 am, as per an earlier HT report.
Bihar government formation: 10 points
Nitish to become Bihar CM for 10th time: JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar is set to continue his nearly two-decade-long legacy in Bihar by taking oath as the chief minister following a thumping victory in the recently concluded assembly elections. Nitish resigned as the Bihar CM and then staked claim before Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to form the new NDA government on Wednesday.
Venue and time of oath ceremony: Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar in a grand ceremony at the iconic Gandhi Maidan in Patna at 11:30 am. This will be the fourth time that Kumar will take oath as the CM at the Gandhi Maidan since 2005.
Arrangements and security prep: Heavy security arrangements overseen by the special protection group (SPG) are in place at Gandhi Maidan for the oath ceremony. Patna police has also formed a special monitoring team at the control room, which will monitor the event area via drones. Around 128 CCTVs have also been installed in the area, HT reported. Additionally, over 2,500 security personnel, 250 police officers, and more than 250 magistrates have been deployed, while snipers have been positioned on high-rise buildings around Gandhi Maidan. Roads around the venue have also been barricaded to manage the crowd, and metal detectors have been installed at all the gates of the Maidan. Traffic restrictions are in place on routes leading to the venue and its surrounding areas. A senior BJP leader said that more than three lakh people are expected to attend the event.
Who will attend the ceremony: Several key dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and key NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu, are expected to attend Nitish Kumar’s oath-taking ceremony in Patna on Thursday. Home minister Amit Shah will also be in attendance at the event. Other likely guests include Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and other CMs of several NDA-ruled states.
Buzz over deputy CM: Since the outgoing deputy chief ministers, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, were elected as the leader and deputy leader of the BJP legislature party, respectively, it indicates that the two leaders will retain their posts in Bihar. BJP’s Mangal Pandey is also being considered for the coveted post, according to an ABP report.
Bihar assembly speaker: Suspense continues to loom over the Speaker of the Bihar assembly, a key post held by BJP’s Nand Kishore Yadav in the outgoing government. According to an earlier HT report, the post of the speaker is coveted by both the BJP and JD(U). Among the frontrunners for the post are BJP leader Prem Kumar and JD(U)’s Vijay Chowdhary. Narendra Narayan Yadav of the JD(U), who served as the deputy speaker in the outgoing assembly, is also among those in the race for the post, as per a report from The Indian Express.
Ministry portfolios: Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) are eyeing the home portfolio, which was held by the JD(U) in the outgoing government, HT reported earlier. Meanwhile, the education ministry, which was with the JD(U) in the last term, is another point of contention.
Bihar Cabinet: NDA leaders huddled on Wednesday to iron out the list of ministers from each party and the portfolios the alliance partners will receive, as per a previous HT report. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will receive the final list of ministers on Thursday morning, and the ministers will also be informed in the morning, just ahead of Nitish Kumar’s oath-taking ceremony. It is not yet clear whether the Cabinet ministers will also be sworn in on Thursday itself. According to a report from news agency PTI, the Cabinet is likely to include 16 ministers from the BJP, 14 from JD(U), including the party chief. The Cabinet is reportedly expected to have five to six new faces from the BJP and JD(U). While Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) is likely to retain its current set of ministers, BJP is expected to bring in three new faces, with the saffron party also retaining most of its ministers from the outgoing administration.
Berths to NDA constituents: Apart from the Cabinet berths for the main NDA constituents — the BJP and JD(U) — the other partners of the alliance are also likely to get one ministerial post for every six MLAs to ensure a balanced representation, HT reported earlier. One slot each will likely go to the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) or HAM(S), three to Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) or LJP(RV), and the remaining 30-31 will be divided between the BJP and the JD(U). The 243-member Bihar assembly can have up to 36 ministers, including the CM.
Bihar election results: The BJP-JD(U)-led National Democratic Alliance swept the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, securing an emphatic victory with 202 seats in the 243-member assembly. The election results dealt a heavy blow to the opposition grouping, the Mahagathbandhan, which managed to bag just 36 seats in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also emerged as the largest party in Bihar, winning 89 of the 202 seats in its alliance’s kitty. Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM bagged five seats in the Bihar assembly. Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor‘s Jan Suraaj Party failed to open an account in this year’s polls.
Summary:
Nitish Kumar will take oath as Bihar Chief Minister at Gandhi Maidan, with PM Modi and Amit Shah attending. Key arrangements and political updates highlight the event.