Nitish Kumar’s 10th Oath As Bihar CM: Full List Of Expected Ministers And NDA Power Sharing

Nitish Kumar is expected to take the oath as Bihar’s Chief Minister for the tenth time on Monday, as the National Democratic Alliance prepares a large-scale swearing-in ceremony at Gandhi Maidan. Twenty-two ministers are likely to be inducted alongside him in the first phase of cabinet formation, according to senior figures within the ruling coalition.

The National Democratic Alliance, fresh from winning 202 of 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly, is working to complete a distribution of posts among its constituent parties as it prepares to form the new government.

Samrat Choudhary, who previously served as Deputy Chief Minister, has been chosen to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Assembly and is expected to play a central role in shaping the party’s presence in the incoming administration.

According to senior BJP figures, the party’s shortlist of ministerial candidates has been assembled with attention to social representation. Two leaders from the Bhumihar community and two from the Extremely Backward Classes are set to feature, along with individual nominees from Brahmin and Rajput groups.

The Kayastha and Vaishya communities are also included in the mix, forming part of what insiders describe as a deliberate effort to reflect Bihar’s varied demographics within the government’s top ranks.

According to sources, the Janata Dal (United) may ultimately hold around 14 berths, while the Bharatiya Janata Party could receive 15 to 16. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is expected to secure up to three positions, with one each set aside for the Hindustani Awami Morcha and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha. Several of these slots, however, will remain vacant until a broader expansion planned after January.

For Monday’s ceremony, the BJP is poised to field nine MLAs, including former Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who now leads the BJP in the Assembly. Others likely to be sworn in include Vijay Sinha, Nitin Navin, Renu Devi, Mangal Pandey, Neeraj Bablu, Sanjay Sarawagi, Hari Sahni and Rajnish Kumar. Eight of them served in the previous administration.

The JDU is expected to send 10 MLAs to the dais, among them Vijay Choudhary, Shrawan Kumar, Ashok Choudhary, Zama Khan, Ratnesh Sada, Leshi Singh, Bijender Yadav, Shyam Rajak, Sunil Kumar and Damodar Rawat. Most held portfolios in the outgoing government. The party’s selection is understood to reflect a similar effort to balance caste representation, with Dalit, Muslim, Yadav, EBC, Rajput and Bhumihar leaders included. One or two new faces may also be added when the cabinet expands.

Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) is likely to be represented by state party president Raju Tiwari, while another seat for the party may remain unfilled. Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son, Santosh Suman, is expected to return as a minister from the Hindustani Awami Morcha. Snehlata Kushwaha, the spouse of Upendra Kushwaha, is likely to take the RLM quota.

In the BJP’s larger pool of future ministerial contenders are figures such as Nitish Mishra, Jibesh Kumar, Neeraj Kumar Singh, Janak Ram, Hari Sahni and Santosh Kumar Singh, with the party considering introducing two or three new faces at a later stage.
Nitish Kumar met Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan in the evening and staked his claim to form the government. He also submitted a letter of support from all NDA constituents to the governor for the formation of the new administration.

The event at Gandhi Maidan is being organised as a major display of NDA unity, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to attend. Officials say he will travel to the venue by helicopter from Patna Airport and return the same way after the ceremony. Joining the Prime Minister will be several senior BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda. Two Deputy Chief Ministers are expected to be sworn in alongside Kumar, with both posts likely to go to BJP legislators.