Nitish Kumar takes Oath As Bihar CM for record 10th time

Nitish Kumar created history today by taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record tenth time at a grand ceremony held at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. The 74-year-old JD(U) national president was joined by two Deputy Chief Ministers – BJP’s Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary – as the BJP-led NDA returned to power with a massive majority in the just-concluded Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several top NDA leaders flew down to attend the event and bless the new government.

The people of Bihar gave a clear verdict in favour of the NDA, handing it 202 out of 243 seats. While the BJP won 89 seats, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) bagged 85 seats despite both parties contesting only 101 seats each under a pre-poll seat-sharing deal. The opposition Mahagathbandhan could manage only 35 seats, far below everyone’s expectations. Speaking at the ceremony today, PM Modi praised Nitish Kumar as an “experienced administrator” with a proven track record of good governance and wished him success for the new term. In a light moment, the Prime Minister also signed off with Nitish’s famous “gamchha” towel gesture, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

With development as the main poll promise, the new NDA government has promised to make Bihar’s identity shine across the country. From better roads and electricity to jobs and women’s safety, big announcements are expected soon. Leaders say the “double-engine” combination of BJP at the Centre and NDA in Bihar will now work even faster to change the face of the state in the next five years.