Days after sweeping the 2025 assembly elections in Bihar, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has chalked out the cabinet formula for the government formation in the state. According to sources, each party of the alliance would be allocated one ministerial berth for every six MLAs in the Nitish Kumar cabinet.
The development comes after senior leaders of the alliance, including Janata Dal United (JDU) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday evening.
As per this formula, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will likely get the lion's share and may be given 15 or 16 ministerial berths, and the JDU 14. Union Minister Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is expected to get three ministerial berths. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) may get one berth each.
The NDA swept the two-phased assembly elections, winning 202 seats in the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly. The BJP, with 89 seats, emerged as the single largest party, followed by Kumar's JDU which won 85 seats. The LJP-RV won 19 seats, while the HAM(S) and RLM won five and four seats, respectively.
Though the alliance has not finalised the swearing-in day for the new government, reports have emerged that it may soon take place. The alliance is also yet to formally announce on who will be the chief minister, but its leaders, including Paswan and Manjhi, have separately backed Kumar and said that the JDU leader will continue to remain at the top post.
Top leaders of the NDA, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers and chief ministers of the alliance-ruled states, will attend the swearing in ceremony of the next Bihar government.
Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting of the incumbent government will be held on Monday to approve the dissolution of the outgoing Assembly after which Kumar will tender his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
