Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for a record tenth time on Thursday in a grand ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, heading a new 27-member NDA cabinet that includes 26 ministers alongside himself. The oath-taking, administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and other senior leaders. Portfolios for the new ministers are expected to be announced on Friday.

The council comprises 14 ministers from the BJP, eight from Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), two from Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), one from Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and one from Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha. BJP heavyweights Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were sworn in as deputy chief ministers, continuing in their previous roles. Nine additional berths will be filled later to reach the constitutional ceiling of 36 ministers.

Notably, the cabinet features three women ministers: JD(U)’s Leshi Singh, who was retained, and BJP newcomers Shreyashi Singh and Rama Nishad. Mohammad Zama Khan (JD(U)) remains the sole Muslim representative, having been retained from the previous term. The social composition includes eight upper-caste ministers (four Rajputs, two Bhumihars, one Brahmin, and one Kayastha), while OBC representation features three Kushwahas and two each from the Kurmi, Vaishya, and Yadav communities.

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The formation follows the NDA’s comfortable victory in the November 2025 assembly elections, securing a clear majority and ending months of political uncertainty. With Nitish Kumar reaffirming his alliance with the BJP-led coalition, the new government is expected to focus on continuity in development schemes, infrastructure, and law-and-order priorities. The final allocation of portfolios, particularly heavyweight departments like home, finance, and rural development, will be closely watched for signals on power-sharing dynamics within the coalition.

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