PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is expected to submit his resignation on Monday, initiating the transition towards a new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government after the alliance’s sweeping victory in the recent assembly polls. According to senior JD(U) leaders, Nitish will first chair the final cabinet meeting of the outgoing government before moving to Raj Bhavan to hand over his resignation to the governor. After returning, he will preside over the meeting of JD(U)’s 85 newly elected MLAs to finalise the party’s role in the new government. A separate meeting of NDA legislators will be held soon after, though its schedule is yet to be confirmed.
With the BJP emerging as the largest constituent of the alliance with 89 MLAs, the party is expected to issue a formal statement on the government formation on Sunday or Monday. Following this, NDA legislators are likely to elect Nitish Kumar as their leader, setting the stage for what could be his tenth oath-taking ceremony as chief minister. Alliance insiders said the oath ceremony is “most probably” planned for Wednesday or Thursday.
BJP emerges as dominant force within NDA
The NDA’s strong performance has reset Bihar’s political equations, with the BJP taking the lead in coordination and planning for the next government. Political activity intensified around Nitish’s residence throughout Saturday. Union minister and LJP(RV) president Chirag Paswan met Nitish to discuss the structure of the upcoming government. Over two dozen senior leaders from various NDA parties, including Union minister Lalan Singh, visited the chief minister for consultations.
All five NDA constituents — BJP, JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha — began internal discussions on cabinet roles and governance strategies in anticipation of the new administration.
High-level talks in Delhi fuel speculation on portfolios
While Patna witnessed a flurry of political meetings, parallel discussions were held in New Delhi. JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan, popularly known as Lalan Singh, met Union home minister Amit Shah. Party sources indicated that the talks centred around portfolio distribution and the structural outline of the NDA government.
Jha later said that Bihar’s voters had reaffirmed their trust in “good governance” and underscored Nitish Kumar’s continued popularity. Before heading back to Delhi for further discussions, Jha and Lalan Singh also held a detailed review meeting with Nitish in Patna.
NDA allies express confidence as negotiations progress
In another show of unity, Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai met RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha and his four MLAs. Rai said the NDA’s “massive victory” was the result of collective effort and added that the opposition Mahagathbandhan had been “wiped out”. Senior BJP leaders Nitin Nabin and Krishna Kumar Mantoo, JD(U) ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Shyam Rajak, and JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha were among the leaders who called on Nitish throughout the day.
Alliance officials emphasised that despite the BJP’s numerical advantage, there is broad agreement within the NDA that Nitish Kumar should continue as chief minister to ensure administrative continuity and reinforce the alliance’s governance plank.
Conclusion
The next few days will be pivotal as Nitish Kumar formally resigns and prepares to return as chief minister under the NDA banner. With fast-paced negotiations over portfolios and governance priorities, the alliance aims to swear in the new government by mid-week, signalling its readiness to take charge with a renewed mandate.