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New Delhi: JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar was on Wednesday unanimously chosen as leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, paving the way for him to take oath as Chief Minister for a historic tenth term. The decision was announced after a meeting of newly elected MLAs from all alliance partners in Patna.

Kumar will be sworn in on Thursday at Patna’s iconic Gandhi Maidan, where top NDA leaders, Union ministers, and thousands of supporters are expected to gather for the ceremony marking his latest political milestone.

Soon after being elected NDA leader, Kumar, accompanied by senior alliance leaders, met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and submitted his resignation as the head of the outgoing government. The Governor accepted the resignation and requested him to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until the new government is formally constituted, state BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal said.

Alliance Leaders Unite Behind Kumar

Kumar’s name for the top post was formally proposed by JD(U) veteran Vijay Choudhary and was seconded by BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha. MLAs from the LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) also endorsed the proposal, signalling broad unanimity within the NDA.

Earlier in the day, JD(U) legislators elected Kumar as their legislative party leader, clearing the internal pathway for his elevation as the NDA’s chief ministerial nominee.

Following the NDA meeting, Kumar proceeded to Raj Bhavan with an influential delegation that included Union minister Chirag Paswan, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Union ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ and Dharmendra Pradhan also joined the gathering of senior leaders who accompanied Kumar to meet the Governor.

NDA Set for Comfortable Majority

The NDA delivered a strong performance in the Bihar assembly elections, winning 202 seats in the 243-member House—well above the majority mark of 122. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party within the alliance with 89 seats, while the JD(U) secured 85. The LJP (Ram Vilas) won 19, HAM 5, and the RLM 4.

Sources said that the JD(U) chief will soon submit a formal letter of support from all NDA constituents to the Governor to stake a claim to form the new government.

With Thursday’s swearing-in, Nitish Kumar will reinforce his status as one of India’s longest-serving chief ministers, continuing a political journey marked by shifting alliances, administrative reforms, and an enduring influence on Bihar’s electoral landscape.