Patna: A 27-member NDA Cabinet took oath in Bihar on Thursday as Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister once again at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan. The new Council of Ministers reflects a carefully balanced caste and regional matrix, renewed JD(U)-BJP coordination and expanded representation for smaller allies such as HAM(S), LJP (Ram Vilas) and RLM.
The swearing-in ceremony turned into a massive display of NDA strength with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda and Chief Ministers, including Chandrababu Naidu, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Devendra Fadnavis, and others, present on stage. Thousands of party workers and supporters filled the ground as the alliance celebrated its decisive victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, where it secured 202 of 243 seats.
The composition of the Cabinet underscores the NDA’s effort to consolidate support across caste blocs and regions. JD(U) retains significant portfolios with veterans like Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Yadav and Shrawon Kumar, alongside representation for Dalit and minority leaders, including Ashok Choudhary, Sunil Kumar and Zama Khan.
BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in the alliance, has inducted both experienced ministers (Mangal Pandey, Nitin Nabin, Surendra Mehta) and younger faces, including Shreyasi Singh and Lakhendra Raushan. Smaller allies HAM(S), LJP (Ram Vilas) and RLM have been given space to reinforce NDA unity, with HAM(S)'s Santosh Suman, two ministers from LJP(RV), and one from RLM included.
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections handed the NDA a sweeping mandate, with the alliance crossing 200 seats for only the second time since 2010. The JD(U) won 85 seats, while the BJP secured 89, reinforcing the coalition’s dominance. Nitish Kumar was unanimously chosen as leader of both the JD(U) Legislature Party and the NDA Legislature Party ahead of government formation.
In a statement earlier today, Nitish Kumar promised “a new journey of development” for Bihar, calling the oath-taking ceremony “a moment of pride for all Biharis”. With the new Cabinet now in place, the NDA aims to push forward governance, infrastructure expansion, social welfare programmes and administrative reforms as its immediate priorities.
