Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was unanimously elected as the legislative leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday, paving the way for his record 10th term as chief minister. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several NDA chief ministers expected to attend the event.

NDA Leadership and Coalition Unity

The NDA's sweeping victory in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections saw the alliance win 202 out of 243 seats, securing a three-fourths majority in the state assembly. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, followed by Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) with 85 seats. Other alliance partners included the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) with 19 seats, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) with five, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha with four. The historic mandate marks the second time the NDA has crossed the 200-seat mark in Bihar, the first being in 2010 when it won 206 seats.

At a meeting held at Kumar's residence in Patna, he was first elected as the leader of the JD(U) legislative party. Later, in a joint NDA legislature party meeting, Kumar was unanimously chosen as the alliance's legislative leader. His deputies, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, were present, along with LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan and Bihar BJP president Dilip Kumar Jaiswal. Ahead of the swearing-in, Samrat Choudhary was elected leader of the BJP legislative party, while Vijay Sinha was chosen as deputy leader.

Swearing-In Ceremony and Political Significance

Kumar will submit his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and stake a claim to form the new government. The swearing-in ceremony on Thursday is being described as historic, with top leaders from across the NDA and several chief ministers of NDA-ruled states expected to attend. The event is set to be held at Gandhi Maidan, a venue that has hosted several major political gatherings in Bihar.

Election Results and Voter Turnout

The NDA's landslide victory was achieved against the backdrop of a record 67.13% voter turnout, the highest in Bihar since 1951. Women voters outpaced men, with a turnout of 71.6% compared to 62.8% for men. The opposition Mahagathbandhan managed only 35 seats, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning 25, the Indian National Congress six, and smaller parties securing the remaining seats. The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) secured one.

With inputs from ANI