RNS: Patna is preparing for a major political reset as the Nitish Kumar–led NDA readies to form the next Bihar government. The grand swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for November 20 at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, where Nitish is set to take oath as Chief Minister for a record tenth term.
Ahead of the big event, a crucial day of meetings has been lined up for Wednesday. Separate meetings of the BJP and JD(U) legislative parties will begin at 11 a.m. BJP MLAs have been instructed to reach the party office by 10:30 a.m., while JD(U) legislators will gather at 1, Anne Marg. Both meetings will convene simultaneously at 11 a.m.
शपथ ग्रहण समारोह की तैयारियों का जायजा।
📍गाँधी मैदान, पटना। pic.twitter.com/tm2pAp6mhM
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) November 18, 2025
Later in the day, a joint meeting of the NDA legislative party will take place at 3:30 p.m. in the Central Hall of the Assembly, where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and leaders of all constituent parties will briefly address the MLAs before taking the next key step.
Following the joint meeting, Nitish Kumar — along with the legislative party leaders of all five NDA partners (BJP, JD(U), LJP(RV), HAM, and RLM) — will head to the Raj Bhavan to formally stake claim to form the new government. This comes two days after Nitish submitted a letter to the Governor seeking dissolution of the current Assembly on November 19. The term of the 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly officially ends on November 22.
With the NDA securing a commanding majority of 202 MLAs, the leadership selection is expected to be a smooth formality, with Nitish emerging as the unanimous choice once again. The BJP’s organisational process is also underway, with UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya appointed as observer, and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal along with former Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti serving as co-observers.
Meanwhile, Patna is under a thick security blanket ahead of the high-profile oath-taking ceremony. Public entry into Gandhi Maidan has been barred until November 20, and police deployment has been strengthened across the capital. Top national leaders — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several Union ministers and NDA chief ministers — are expected to attend the ceremony, underlining the Centre’s strong support for the new government.
Once the swearing-in concludes, the process to constitute the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly will begin. A pro-tem Speaker will be appointed to administer the oath to the newly elected MLAs, followed by the election of a new Speaker. Given the NDA’s decisive victory, the Speaker’s election is expected to be unopposed.
With political negotiations intensifying and preparations nearly complete, Bihar is set to witness the beginning of another Nitish Kumar–led administration — marking stability, continuity, and a renewed start to the alliance’s next term in power.
