Nitish Kumar set to take oath as Bihar CM for 10th time: Key facts

The oath-taking ceremony will be held at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and several other BJP leaders are likely to attend the ceremony

Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar is set to take oath today as Bihar chief minister for a record 10th time, days after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a landslide victory in the state Assembly elections.

 

The oath-taking ceremony will be held at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and several other leaders are likely to attend the ceremony, which is expected to take place at 11:30 am.

Ahead of Nitish Kumar's oath-taking ceremony, here's all you need to know:

 

1. On Wednesday, Nitish Kumar resigned and then staked a claim before Governor Arif Mohammad Khan to form the next government in the state after he was elected as the leader of the NDA. 

 

2. Nitish Kumar's former deputies, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, are expected to retain the post. On Wednesday, Choudhary was chosen as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s legislature party, with Sinha being elected as his deputy.

 

3. In his two-decade-long legacy in the state, Nitish Kumar will take the oath at the iconic Gandhi Maidan for the fourth time since 2005.

 

4. Security has been tightened at Gandhi Maidan, with arrangements led by the Special Protection Group (SPG). Patna police have set up a dedicated monitoring unit in the control room to track the venue using drone feeds, while about 128 CCTV cameras have been installed across the area, according to The Hindustan Times. 

 

5. More than 2,500 security personnel, 250 police officers and over 250 magistrates have been deployed, and snipers have been stationed on nearby high-rise buildings. Roads around Gandhi Maidan have been barricaded for crowd control, and metal detectors have been placed at all entry gates. Traffic restrictions are also in force on routes leading to and around the venue. A senior BJP leader estimated that the event could draw over 300,000 people.

 

6. According to a PTI report, the new Bihar Cabinet is likely to feature 16 ministers from the BJP and 14 from the JD(U), a tally that will include the party president.

 

7. Most ministers from the outgoing Cabinet are likely to be retained, with the party weighing the inclusion of three new members, PTI reported.

 

8. Besides PM Modi and Amit Shah, several other prominent leaders are also expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, including BJP national president JP Nadda and key NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu. Other likely attendees include Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and chief ministers from other NDA-governed states