Patna: Nitish Kumar, the president of the Janata Dal (United), is set to take the oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the tenth time on November 20. This event marks a significant moment in Bihar's political landscape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, which will take place at Gandhi Maidan.

The ceremony will also see the presence of several prominent leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Preparations for the event are underway, with the Gandhi Maidan being closed to the public from November 17 to 20 to facilitate the arrangements.

In terms of cabinet formation, sources indicate that the distribution of ministerial berths among the NDA allies has been finalised. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), led by Chirag Paswan, is expected to receive three cabinet positions, while the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) will each get one. The cabinet will consist of a maximum of 16 ministers from the BJP and 14 from the JD(U), including the Chief Minister.

The last cabinet meeting of the outgoing government is scheduled for 11:30 AM on Monday, where Nitish Kumar will recommend the dissolution of the current assembly to the governor. Following this, he will submit his resignation at the Raj Bhavan and attend a meeting with newly elected JD(U) legislators to be formally elected as their leader.

Additionally, a meeting of the BJP's newly elected legislators is planned for Tuesday, followed by a joint meeting of the NDA legislators. After these meetings, Nitish Kumar, along with leaders from all five NDA allies, will go to the Raj Bhawan to claim the formation of the new government.

The electoral process has been completed, with the Chief Electoral Officer handing over the list of 243 newly elected assembly members to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. The Election Commission has lifted the model code of conduct across the state, allowing for the new government formation to proceed. Discussions regarding the government formation have been ongoing, with key leaders meeting to strategise on cabinet positions and governance.