Nitish Kumar is all set to be sworn in as Bihar’s Chief Minister for a record-breaking tenth term today at Patna’s iconic Gandhi Maidan. On Tuesday, he was unanimously chosen as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance during a meeting of all 202 NDA legislators in the Assembly’s Central Hall. Earlier, JD(U) legislators had separately reaffirmed him as the leader of their party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, and several senior NDA representatives are expected to attend the ceremony. The NDA recently secured a sweeping victory in the state elections, winning 202 out of 243 seats. Within the alliance, the BJP secured 89 seats, JD(U) 85, LJP (RV) 19, HAM 5, and RLM 4. Around 20 ministers, including Nitish Kumar, are expected to take the oath today. Sources indicate the BJP has negotiated strongly with the JD(U) to keep control of the Assembly Speaker’s post, with senior BJP leader Prem Kumar likely to be appointed.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in Patna to congratulate Nitish Kumar and praised the mandate given to his leadership. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi described the event as a historic moment, noting that no other leader has been sworn in as Chief Minister ten times.

Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav has been chosen again as the RJD legislature party leader, confirming that he will continue as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. RJD chief Lalu Prasad endorsed Tejashwi’s leadership despite the party’s poor electoral performance.

The new government is expected to prioritise job creation, food processing investments, improvement in education and healthcare, transport development, and expanding youth-focused initiatives—areas earlier highlighted by Prime Minister Modi while urging investors to consider opportunities in Bihar.

The BJP and JD(U) are likely to retain several senior ministers while introducing new faces into the cabinet. BJP leaders Mangal Pandey, Nitish Mishra, and Nitin Nabin are expected to continue, while JD(U) may retain Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, and Shravan Kumar.

Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha are also expected to remain in their positions after being selected again as the party’s legislative leaders. Smaller allies are finalising their ministerial picks, with RLM set to send Sasaram MLA Snehlata and HAM(S) likely to retain Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Jitan Ram Manjhi.

With the preparations now complete, all eyes are on Gandhi Maidan as Nitish Kumar prepares to take the oath for a landmark tenth time.