'Bihar to begin new phase of growth': Nitish ahead of taking oath as CM

Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that he will take oath at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna, pledging that "Bihar will embark on a new journey of development".

Sharing a post on X, Kumar said, "I, Nitish Kumar, swear by God... This sentence is a symbol of the unwavering faith and self-confidence of crores of Biharis. Today, from the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna, this voice will echo once again, and Bihar will embark on a new journey of development."

He extended heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all Biharis on the occasion. "On this historic oath-taking occasion, heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all Biharis," the post read.

Janata Dal (United) shared a post on X earlier in the day asserting that "history is about to be made in Bihar" today, and the "moment will be a pride for all Biharis".

"History is about to be made in Bihar. Honorable Nitish Kumar ji will take the oath for the post of Chief Minister, a symbol of Bihar's development and trust. Bihar will write another new chapter of development; this moment will be a moment of pride for all Biharis. Let us all witness this historic moment," the post further read.

The oath-taking ceremony will be held today in the heart of Patna is set to be attended by all senior political leaders of NDA, party workers, and citizens, marking the beginning of the government's renewed focus on progress and governance in Bihar.

Several leaders including Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio were seen arriving at the Patna airport to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the NDA government in the State.

Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record 10th time today.

Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan here, which has hosted his inaugurations in 2005, 2010, and 2015. It is at this venue that Jayaprakash Narayan called for "total revolution" during a speech in 1974.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other prominent leaders of the NDA are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The PM had skipped the swearing-in ceremony in the year 2020.

Various Chief Ministers of NDA-rule states are also expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Nitish Kumar was first elected as leader of the JD (U) Legislature Party during the meeting with the new MLAs held at his official residence in Patna yesterday. He was also unanimously elected as leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Legislature Party ahead of the formation of a new government under his leadership in the State today.

Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were also elected as leader and deputy leader of the BJP Legislature Party, respectively, during the meeting held at the BJP State headquarters.

Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was appointed as the central observer for the election of the Legislature Party Leader in Bihar, proposed the names of both leaders, and the remaining MLAs supported the proposal.

The 2025 Bihar Assembly polls were considered as the litmus test for Nitish Kumar who has managed to steer the politics of Bihar around him in every election over the past 20 years.

The 74-year-old Nitish Kumar has been Chief Minister since November 2005, with a brief nine-month gap in 2014-15.Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Patna last evening and was accorded a welcome by BJP National President JP Nadda, Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal and other leaders at the airport.

The Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar has staked a claim to form the government in Bihar after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept 202 assembly constituencies.

He met Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan yesterday and tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister.

The NDA registered a historic landslide victory in the 2025 Bihar assembly polls, winning 202 of the 243 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan managed to secure only 35 seats. The ruling alliance secured a three-fourths majority in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, marking the second time the NDA crossed the 200-seat mark in state polls. In 2010, it had won 206 seats.

In the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 89 seats, Janata Dal (United) won 85, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) won 19, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS) won five, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha won four seats.

Among opposition parties, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won 25 seats, the Indian National Congress six, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) [CPI(ML)(L)] two, the Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) one, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] one seat.

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) secured five seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won one seat.

The Bihar assembly elections were held in two phases on November 6 and 11. Bihar recorded a historic 67.13 per cent voter turnout, the highest since 1951, with women voters outpacing men (71.6 per cent vs 62.8 per cent).