Patna: JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record 9th time on Sunday hours after he had resigned from the same post and then staked claim to form the government with BJP's support.
The dramatic volte-face saw him ditching the Mahagathbandhan and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. Kumar's latest crossover, his fifth in a little over a decade, capped days of high political drama and blame game. It is also seen as a big setback for the opposition unity ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Kumar was administered the oath of office by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan here. Along with him, BJP leaders Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary took oath as ministers in the Kumar-led government. Six other people also took oath as ministers.
Kumar had earlier in the day resigned as the chief minister, saying "things were not working well" for him in the 'Mahagathbandhan' and in the opposition bloc INDIA. BJP national president JP Nadda among other leaders attended the oath-taking ceremony. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan was also present on the occasion.
Major updates that unfolded in this big story throughout the day:
- 10.10 PM
Nitish Kumar thanked PM Narendra Modi for his wishes after the former took oath as Bihar Chief Minister. Taking to X, Kumar said, "On my behalf and on behalf of all the people of Bihar, I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his congratulations and good wishes and thank him wholeheartedly for his cooperation". "A new government has been formed in Bihar with the NDA alliance. The public is the master and serving them is our basic objective. With the NDA coalition government at the Centre and the state, development work will gain momentum and the people of the state will improve," he added.-
मैं माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी को उनके द्वारा दी गई बधाई एवं शुभकामना के लिए अपनी ओर से और समस्त बिहारवासियों की ओर से आभार प्रकट करता हूं तथा उनके सहयोग के लिए हृदय से धन्यवाद देता हूं। बिहार में एन०डी०ए० गठबंधन के साथ नई सरकार का गठन हो चुका है। जनता मालिक है और…
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) January 28, 2024 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">मैं माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी को उनके द्वारा दी गई बधाई एवं शुभकामना के लिए अपनी ओर से और समस्त बिहारवासियों की ओर से आभार प्रकट करता हूं तथा उनके सहयोग के लिए हृदय से धन्यवाद देता हूं। बिहार में एन०डी०ए० गठबंधन के साथ नई सरकार का गठन हो चुका है। जनता मालिक है और…
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) January 28, 2024मैं माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी को उनके द्वारा दी गई बधाई एवं शुभकामना के लिए अपनी ओर से और समस्त बिहारवासियों की ओर से आभार प्रकट करता हूं तथा उनके सहयोग के लिए हृदय से धन्यवाद देता हूं। बिहार में एन०डी०ए० गठबंधन के साथ नई सरकार का गठन हो चुका है। जनता मालिक है और…
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) January 28, 2024
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- 10.00 PM
Chhattisgarh minister and BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal on Sunday claimed a situation similar to Bihar will be seen in other (non-BJP) states in future. "The entire country will be coming under an umbrella as works being done under BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modiji's leadership are aimed at the development of common people, the poor, labourers, youths and women. Therefore everyone wants to be associated with BJP and Modi ji," the School Education Minister told reporters. - 8.50 PM
Reacting to Nitish Kumar's switchover, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction said on Sunday the country is seeing the rule of "Paltu Rams" and not Ram Rajya. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged the BJP engineered the break-up of the Bihar alliance, and that the party is the biggest threat to democracy. - 8.00 PM
After taking the oath, Nitish Kumar has asserted that there is now no question of him going anywhere else, leaving the NDA fold. "I was with them (NDA) earlier, too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so... I came back to where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else," the 72-year-old leader told reporters after taking oath as the CM. - 7.50 PM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma express delight over the formation of the NDA government in Bihar. In a post on 'X', Adityanath said, "Hearty congratulations to Shri @NitishKumar ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar and Shri Samrat Chaudhary ji and Shri Vijay Sinha ji on taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers! Fully confident that the double engine government formed in Bihar will set excellent standards of service, good governance and development in the state under the guidance of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji."-
श्री @NitishKumar जी को बिहार राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री और श्री सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं श्री विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर हार्दिक बधाई!
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 28, 2024 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
पूर्ण विश्वास है कि बिहार में बनी डबल इंजन की सरकार आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के मार्गदर्शन में राज्य में सेवा,…
">श्री @NitishKumar जी को बिहार राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री और श्री सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं श्री विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर हार्दिक बधाई!
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 28, 2024
पूर्ण विश्वास है कि बिहार में बनी डबल इंजन की सरकार आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के मार्गदर्शन में राज्य में सेवा,…श्री @NitishKumar जी को बिहार राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री और श्री सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं श्री विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर हार्दिक बधाई!
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 28, 2024
पूर्ण विश्वास है कि बिहार में बनी डबल इंजन की सरकार आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के मार्गदर्शन में राज्य में सेवा,…
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- 7.20 PM
BJP national president JP Nadda says the "double-engine" government will benefit Bihar. Nadda, who was in Patna to attend the swearing-in ceremony, said "now with the NDA govt, there will be stability and improvement in law in order in the state. "New NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar will make Ujjwal Bihar," he said. Nadda also said NDA will sweep Lok Sabha polls and win all seats in Bihar. He slammed the INDIA bloc and said the alliance was for 'protecting family and shielding corruption'. - 7.06 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nitish Kumar after he took oath as the Bihar Chief Minister on Sunday. In a post on X, PM Modi expressed his confidence in the NDA government formed in Bihar and assured of development in the state. "The NDA government formed in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfill the aspirations of its people. @NitishKumar I congratulate ji as Chief Minister and Samrat Chaudhary ji and Vijay Sinha ji on taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers. I am confident that this team will serve my family members of the state with full dedication," read the rough translation of PM's post in Hindi.-
बिहार में बनी एनडीए सरकार राज्य के विकास और यहां के लोगों की आकांक्षाओं को पूरा करने के लिए कोई कोर-कसर नहीं छोड़ेगी। @NitishKumar जी को मुख्यमंत्री और सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर मेरी बहुत-बहुत बधाई।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2024 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
मुझे विश्वास है कि यह टीम पूरे…
">बिहार में बनी एनडीए सरकार राज्य के विकास और यहां के लोगों की आकांक्षाओं को पूरा करने के लिए कोई कोर-कसर नहीं छोड़ेगी। @NitishKumar जी को मुख्यमंत्री और सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर मेरी बहुत-बहुत बधाई।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2024
मुझे विश्वास है कि यह टीम पूरे…बिहार में बनी एनडीए सरकार राज्य के विकास और यहां के लोगों की आकांक्षाओं को पूरा करने के लिए कोई कोर-कसर नहीं छोड़ेगी। @NitishKumar जी को मुख्यमंत्री और सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर मेरी बहुत-बहुत बधाई।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2024
मुझे विश्वास है कि यह टीम पूरे…
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- 6.15 PM
As many as 8 leaders took the oath as cabinet ministers in the new government led by Nitish Kumar. They include 3 from the BJP – Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Prem Kumar, 3 from JDU – Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, and Shrawon Kumar; and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) President Santosh Kumar Suman and independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh. - 6.10 PM
The NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) on Sunday said that Nitish Kumar would go down in political history as the "great paltu Ram" who willingly adheres to the BJP's directives. "It is not surprising that he has done this 'Volte - Face' once again because he seems to be addicted to this kind of behaviour," NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said in a statement. - 6.00 PM
Congress leader TS Singh Deo reacts to Nitish Kumar's decision. "Definitely he (Nitish Kumar) cheated...If he aimed to remain the chief minister and work with the BJP, he could have done it earlier also, the numbers were there earlier too. His motive for coming here was that he did not agree with the BJP ideologically and wanted to give an alternative to the public which works in public interest but it seems that his own interests are paramount." - 5.30 PM
On BJP-JD(U) alliance, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge says, "This shows that it was all pre-planned. To break the INDIA alliance they (BJP-JD(U)) planned all this... He (Nitish Kumar) kept us in the dark, he kept Lalu Yadav in the dark..." - 5.15 PM
Nitish Kumar takes oath as Chief Minister. BJP leaders Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha, his deputies, also swore in. - 5.00 PM
Acting Bihar CM Nitish Kumar arrives at Raj Bhavan He will take oath as Bihar CM for the 9th time after he along with his party joined the BJP-led NDA bloc. - 4.50 PM
BJP national president JP Nadda meets Governor Rajendra Arlekar in Patna. BJP Bihar president Samrat Chaudhary, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan and other leaders arrive at Raj Bhavan, in Patna to attend the oath ceremony of the new government.
