Bihar: The grand cabinet expansion ceremony of the NDA government in Bihar on Thursday turned politically significant as well as unexpectedly light-hearted after a moment involving former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar caught everyone’s attention at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. During the swearing-in event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several top NDA leaders, Nitish Kumar was seen briefly moving towards the chair meant for Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary before senior JD(U) leader Vijay Chaudhary reportedly pointed out the seating arrangement. Nitish then moved and sat in his own designated chair. The brief moment quickly became one of the most talked-about visuals from the massive Bihar political event, which also saw 32 ministers taking oath as part of the expanded NDA cabinet.
20 साल से नीतीश कुमार जिस कुर्सी पर बैठते थे आज उसी कुर्सी को गौर से काफ़ी देर तक देखते रहें।
आज गांधी मैदान में मंत्रियों के शपथ ग्रहण के दौरान नीतीश कुमार उस जगह जाकर रुक गए जहां सीएम और डिप्टी सीएम के लिए कुर्सियां लगी थीं।
नीतीश कुमार जी शायद वहां बैठना चाह रहे थे, कुछ मिनट… pic.twitter.com/1PsCT1sOjL
— Pratik Patel (@PratikVoiceObc) May 7, 2026
Grand Bihar swearing-in ceremony held at Gandhi Maidan in the presence of top NDA leaders
Reports say that, the oath-taking ceremony was organised on a large scale at Gandhi Maidan in Patna and marked a major political moment for the NDA government in Bihar led by Samrat Chaudhary. A total of 32 ministers took oath during the expansion exercise. The newly expanded Bihar cabinet includes 15 ministers from the BJP, 13 from the JD(U), two from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), one from Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and one from Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Among the biggest political highlights of the day was the induction of Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda. Several senior NDA leaders, Chief Ministers from different states and Bihar-based Union Ministers were also present.
Nitish Kumar’s brief seat mix-up becomes talking point at Bihar political event
Amid the formal proceedings, Nitish Kumar’s movement towards Samrat Chaudhary’s chair became one of the defining moments of the ceremony. According to people present at the venue, Nitish initially walked towards the seat designated for the Bihar Chief Minister. Senior JD(U) leader Vijay Chaudhary then reportedly pointed out the correct seating arrangement to him. After that, Nitish moved away from Samrat Chaudhary’s chair and sat in his own seat.
The moment lasted only briefly but drew immediate attention because of Nitish Kumar’s long political history in Bihar and his former role as Chief Minister. The incident added an unscripted moment to an otherwise carefully managed political event attended by the top leadership of the NDA.
Another light moment unfolds as Nishant Kumar sits in the wrong chair during the signing process
A second humorous incident also unfolded during the oath-taking process involving Nishant Kumar. As per official protocol, ministers were required to sign oath documents after taking the oath. During the first phase, Shravan Kumar, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Dilip Jaiswal, Nishant Kumar and Leshi Singh were invited together to take oath. Five chairs and tables had been arranged on the dais with official documents placed before each minister’s assigned seat.
While Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Sinha sat correctly without confusion, Nishant Kumar accidentally occupied the chair meant for Dilip Jaiswal. When Jaiswal approached to sign the papers, he reportedly realised Nishant was sitting in his designated place.
According to those present, Dilip Jaiswal politely informed Nishant that the documents belonged to him and requested him to move to the next chair where Nishant’s papers had been placed. Nishant then shifted to the correct seat.
Bihar ceremony witnesses smiles as leaders help Nishant Kumar complete formalities
The light-hearted atmosphere continued when Nishant Kumar reportedly needed help locating the signature spaces on the official documents. Dilip Jaiswal was first seen guiding him on where to sign. Later, Leshi Singh also helped Nishant complete the formalities.
The exchange brought smiles among leaders and guests present on the dais and briefly softened the otherwise serious political atmosphere of the Bihar cabinet expansion ceremony.
Apart from the top BJP leadership, Union Ministers from Bihar including Chirag Paswan, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha were also present at the event.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
