All eyes are on the new government formation in Bihar. Several reports claimed that the oath-taking ceremony of the Chief Minister will take place on 20 November. JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar is likely to be sworn in as the CM for the record 10th time.
Reacting to the reports, Union Minister HAM(S) Custodian Jitan Ram Manjhi said, “The whole thing is being reported in the newspapers and the media. We have nothing to say about it personally. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on the 20th, and the prime minister will also be there…”
Earlier, Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal said on Monday that the work of forming the government will be completed by 21 November.
HAM(S) leader Santosh Suman had also said on Sunday that all the processes will be completed by November 20-21.
“This is a Constitutional tradition that a final list is given to the Governor. Perhaps that will be done today. The meeting can be held tomorrow…This will certainly be done before 22 November,” Suman was quoted by ANI as saying on Sunday, 16 November.
He added that if the CM resigns on Monday (17 November) and submits his resignation to the Governor, the process for forming a new government will begin. “A legislative party meeting will be held, a leader will be elected, and there will be CM…I think perhaps it will happen by 20-21. It is a speculation, this is not the exact date but it will happen around these dates,” Suman said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers of several states and Union Ministers are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Jitan Ram Manjhi confirms Nitish Kumar will be Bihar CM
Union Minister and HAM(S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi met Union Minister and BJP Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi on Sunday, asserting that Nitish Kumar will be the face for the Chief Minister’s post.
Manjhi had told ANI, “One thing is clear: Nitish Kumar will be the face for the Chief Minister’s post.”
When will Nitish Kumar resign?
Sources told PTI that Nitish Kumar is likely to resign on 19 November. Nitish Kumar met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday.
According to sources, the last cabinet meeting of the outgoing NDA government in Bihar on Monday “authorized” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to recommend dissolution of the assembly.
A resolution to this effect was unanimously passed in the meeting chaired by Kumar, which lasted for 10 minutes, he said.
“The CM met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan soon after the meeting to apprise him about the decision of the cabinet. On 19 November, Kumar will submit his resignation to the Governor as head of the outgoing government,” one of the sources said.
Earlier, on Sunday, Union Minister and HAM(S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi said that the swearing-in ceremony of the new Bihar Chief Minister will be held at Gandhi Maidan, but the date will be finalized once Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirms it.
“On Monday, the Chief Minister will hold the final cabinet meeting, give his vote of thanks, and submit his resignation to the Governor,” he said.
Who’ll get how many ministerial positions?
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Jitan Ram Manjhi cited a media report to say that the “names of those who are becoming ministers are coming forward”.
He said reports suggest that there will be 35-36 ministers, “out of which 16 will be from the BJP, 14-15 from JDU, three from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and one each from the Hindustan Awam Morcha (S) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha…”
Coalition leaders, as quoted by the Hindustan Timesstated that the parties are considering allocating roughly one ministerial post for every six MLAs to ensure balanced representation within the NDA.
The alliance consists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) or HAM(S).
“However, there may be some adjustments, and changes to the two deputy chief minister posts are also possible,” a senior BJP leader was quoted by HT as saying.
Meanwhile, The Indian Express quoted sources as saying that the initial proposal for government formation suggests an equal number of ministerial berths for the BJP and the JD(U).
According to this formula, the Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV) may be offered two ministerial positions and the Upendra Kushwaha-led RLM and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) may be given one department each.
How many ministers are there in Bihar?
As per the report, the maximum number of cabinet berths is constitutionally capped at 15% of an assembly’s strength.
Bihar has 243 assembly seats. So, it can have up to 36 ministers, including the chief minister.
Composition of outgoing Buhar govt.
The outgoing Bihar government included two deputy chief ministers — BJP’s Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. It had 36 ministers, of which 21 were from the BJP, 13 from the JD(U), one from the HAM(S), and one was Independent.
The current Bihar assembly’s term ends on 22 November, and the 18th assembly will be constituted on or before that date.
Gandhi Maidan to remain closed till…
Gandhi Maidan will remain closed to the public from 17 to 20 November, Hindustan reported. This decision has been made in preparation for the swearing-in ceremony.
However, the district administration has not officially stated the reason.
What happened in Bihar Election 2025
The NDA’s ‘tsunami’ swept away the opposition RJD-led Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, as they won 202 seats out of 243.
BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats, and the Janata Dal (United) finished a close second with 85. The other allies of the ruling coalition also registered high strike rates, with the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) winning 19 seats, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS) winning five, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha winning four seats.
Facing major setbacks, Mahagathbandhan got just 35 seats with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning 25 seats, Congress 6, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) – CPI(ML)(L) – two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) – one and Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M) one seat.
While All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat.
