Nitish Kumar to take oath as Bihar CM again as NDA wins big, sparking debate on whether this is his era’s end or a major political comeback. Photo: ANI.
Nitish Kumar is all set to take oath as Bihar Chief Minister on Thursday (November 20), days after the BJP–JD(U)-led NDA swept the state assembly elections. He was elected as the legislative party leader today, on November 19, during a meeting with the newly elected MLAs at the CM’s house. Samrat Choudhary was elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Legislature Party leader.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with several chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from NDA-ruled states, scheduled to attend.
On Monday, Nitish Kumar met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan to recommend the dissolution of the existing legislative assembly.
Nitish Kumar will be serving his 10th term as Bihar CM from 2005. However, the question that is looming large today is whether his era of dominance is finally nearing its end.
Over recent years, Nitish’s political capital appeared to decline sharply. His approval as the preferred Chief Minister dropped from 37% in 2020 to 16–25% in recent C-Voter and VoteVibe surveys. His party’s assembly strength slid from 115 seats in 2010 to just 43 seats in 2020, accompanied by a fall in JD(U)’s vote share from 22.6% to 15.7%.
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Concerns over his health sharpened scrutiny. His occasional incoherent public interactions prompted Opposition parties to question whether he remained fit to lead. While many voters still trusted the BJP’s organisational strength under Narendra Modi as a stabilising force, Nitish appeared increasingly dependent on Modi’s popularity to remain electorally relevant.
This election also marks a shift for Nitish Kumar’s future. The BJP has emerged stronger than ever, raising the possibility that it may no longer feel compelled to play second fiddle. With 89 seats, the BJP now surpasses JD(U) (85). Its allies, LJP (RV)’s 19 seats, HAM’s 5 seats, and RLM’s 4 seats, push the NDA tally to 117, just short of the majority mark. Independent candidates could help plug the remaining gap.
All of this fuels one question: Is Bihar finally witnessing the slow fade-out of the Nitish Kumar era?
The 2025 Bihar election results tell a second, equally compelling story:.Nitish Kumar has staged one of the most unexpected comebacks in recent Bihar politics.
From 43 seats in the previous election to 85 seats now, JD(U)’s resurgence surprised both allies and critics.
For nearly two decades, Nitish Kumar has cultivated an image of a “governance-first” leader. Despite recurring accusations of political opportunism, a sizeable section of voters continues to associate him with administrative continuity, social harmony, and caste stability.
Even amid anti-incumbency, doubts about his age, and concerns about leadership fatigue, voters still prioritised him. His governance model, long visibility, and administrative experience still hold significant resonance among Bihar’s electorate.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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