Nitish Kumar will take oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the tenth time, underscoring his unusual longevity in state politics. His rise from a socialist leader in the 1970s to one of India’s most durable regional leaders has been defined by a focus on governance, an ability to read social coalitions and a readiness to shift alliances when needed.

His return to office, again, shows how firmly he has embedded himself in Bihar’s political structure.

Kumar was chosen as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislative party in Patna, backed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha. Chaudhary had earlier been elected leader of the BJP legislative party. Kumar was formally endorsed at the NDA meeting attended by seni

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