Bihar government formation updates: Stage set for Nitish government's swearing-in, ceremony on November 20

Intense lobbying is underway among the NDA partners to finalise allocation of cabinet berths, and build a consensus over the post of Assembly Speaker ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
Both the BJP and the JD(U) have staked claim for the post of Speaker, sources said.

The NDA stormed back to power in Bihar, winning 202 seats in the 243-member assembly, with BJP bagging 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5 and RLM 4.
 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is all set to be elected as leader of the NDA on Wednesday ahead of the formation of a new government under his leadership in the state on November 20. Kumar, who will take oath as Bihar CM for a record 10th time, will be first elected as leader of the JD(U) legislature party at 11 am on Wednesday and after that, the leader of the NDA at 3.30 pm, before tendering his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as head of the outgoing government, sources said.

He will also submit a letter of support from all alliance partners of the NDA to the governor for the formation of the new government.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti arrived in Bihar as central observers for the election of the Bihar BJP Legislature Party leader. They were warmly welcomed with ceremonial scarves upon their arrival.

On this occasion, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Sinha, Jivesh Mishra, Dilip Jaiswal, and several other party leaders were present.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Tuesday expressed his happiness over the peaceful conduct of the assembly elections in the state. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Khan lauded the "democratic temper" exhibited by the voters and expressed his gratitude towards "people's faith in democracy".

"I am very happy that such a large process was conducted peacefully and there was no requirement for re-polling in any part of the state," he said.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister and central observer Keshav Prasad Maurya, along with co-observer Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, will arrive at Patna airport shortly. State president Dr Dilip Jaiswal has reached the airport to receive them.

Senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to extend heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on the NDA’s resounding victory in the state elections. He praised Kumar’s leadership and expressed confidence in continued development under his guidance.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has been appointed by the BJP as the party’s Central Observer for the upcoming election of the leader of the legislative party in Bihar. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and BJP leader Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have been named as Central co-observers to assist in overseeing the process.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the party’s vote share in Bihar remained consistent between 2020 and 2025. He noted that the change came due to LJP, led by Chirag Paswan, joining the NDA this election after contesting separately previously. The LJP was rewarded with 29 seats and won 22, with an extra 5% vote making a key difference. Smaller community-based groups aligning with NDA also contributed to the coalition’s advantage.

Reacting to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya’s remarks, Union Minister Satish Chandra Dubey said it appears that “no parent would tolerate their daughter leaving the family.” He suggested that if Rohini’s claims are to be believed, someone may have pressured or controlled her to such an extent that she could neither speak freely nor act willingly.

Union Minister Satish Chandra Dubey dismissed the opposition’s allegations of vote theft in the Bihar election, calling it their “old script.” He said that whenever the Mahagathbandhan wins, they praise EVMs and the Election Commission, but when they lose, they start blaming the system. Dubey added that the opposition should introspect, as “a Mahabharat is happening in their own house.” He said it was mere luck that they won 24 seats, otherwise their “political shop would have shut down,” and they should reflect on their mindset regarding Bihar, their own families, and their workers.

A nearly three-hour-long meeting at Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence has concluded. JDU Executive President Sanjay Jha and Union Minister Lallan Singh departed from the venue after the discussions.

JDU MP R P Mandal said that the arrival of Chief Ministers from all states is a moment of joy for Bihar, and highlighted the significance of Nitish Kumar taking oath for the 10th time, emphasizing that he will continue the development work left unfinished over the past five years, bringing pride and progress to the state and the country.

Congress MP Imran Masood responded to the Samajwadi Party leader's suggestion that Akhilesh Yadav should lead the INDIA alliance, stating that Akhilesh should first focus on Uttar Pradesh, with the 2027 elections approaching, and praised Rahul Gandhi’s campaign style, saying there is no competition to it.

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi stated that Nitish Kumar will continue as Bihar’s Chief Minister and urged the opposition to accept the public mandate. He criticized opposition leaders for blaming EVMs and other issues instead of acknowledging their mistakes, emphasizing that NDA secured 202 seats and the excuses hold no meaning.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that there is no major issue with SIR and claimed that most Congress leaders feel Rahul Gandhi’s focus on SIR contributed to the party’s defeat in Bihar. Regarding Robert Vadra’s comments on Congress’s poor performance, he said they should accept the loss gracefully and show humility.

Prashant Kishor claimed in Patna that JDU would not have won more than 25 seats if the Nitish government had not given Rs 10,000 each to women. He added that the people have given a mandate to the NDA, and it is the responsibility of Modi and Nitish to fulfill the promises made during the elections.

Reacting to the poor performance of the Jan Suraj Party in the Bihar Assembly elections, Prashant Kishor said, “We made an honest effort, but the results did not meet expectations. I take 100% responsibility for this.”

Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal stated that 2-3 lakh people are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony at Gandhi Maidan on November 20. Leaders will take the oath to fulfill the vision of a developed Bihar.

Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal stated that 2-3 lakh people are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony at Gandhi Maidan on November 20. Leaders will take the oath to fulfill the vision of a developed Bihar.

Bihar BJP President Dilip Gajswal stated that the BJP legislative party meeting will be held tomorrow, followed by the NDA legislative party meeting. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for November 20 at Gandhi Maidan, with Prime Minister Modi, other BJP leaders from various states, and the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers attending. He added that the new government will take an oath to fulfill the vision of a developed Bihar.

Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, openly supported his sister Rohini Acharya and stated that those he termed as “traitors” will have to pay the price and face the consequences.

Congress leader Surendra Rajput congratulated Tejashwi Yadav on being chosen as the Leader of the Opposition, stating that the Bihar election outcome is not a people’s mandate but a “knowledge mandate.” He added that if it were a true mandate, Tejashwi Yadav would have been leading the ruling side rather than the opposition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bihar’s new government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and several other senior leaders from the ruling alliance are also likely to be present.

Upendra Kushwaha, head of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, stated, "Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister and will continue to be so." Responding to Akhilesh Yadav's remarks on alleged vote theft, he added that the issue is baseless and pursuing it would only lead to problems, noting that people would have spoken up if any wrongdoing had occurred.

Reacting to RJD leader Rohini Acharya’s remarks, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi stated that it is an internal matter of the party. He acknowledged that Lalu Prasad Yadav is supporting Tejashwi Yadav as the legislative leader but called Acharya’s revelations a “heinous act” and criticized the party’s approach. He also emphasized that the public should recognize the efforts of PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar in Bihar’s development.

 Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav has been elected as the leader of the RJD legislative party. In a review meeting, the RJD leadership attributed their electoral defeat to issues with EVMs and the Election Commission.

A series of meetings are underway from Patna to Delhi as political discussions intensify. JDU leaders Lalan Singh and Sanjay Jha have already reached Delhi, while LJP (R) leader Chirag Paswan met BJP’s Bihar in-charge leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and Vinod Tawde on Monday to discuss government formation.

Nitish Kumar is set to be elected as the leader of the NDA legislative party. Following this, he will stake claim to form the government, with his swearing-in ceremony scheduled for November 20.

 On Monday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and submitted a proposal for the dissolution of the current Bihar Assembly, initiating the process for the formation of the new government.

 Nitish Kumar is set to become the Chief Minister of Bihar, with Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha likely to be appointed as the state’s two Deputy Chief Ministers.

 The formula for forming Bihar’s new government has been finalized. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to take oath for the 10th time on November 20. Preparations for the swearing-in ceremony have already begun at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.