Nitish Kumar’s Oath Ceremony: Preparations, Swearing-In Timing, Guest List & VVIP Arrivals

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday before formally staking claim to form the next NDA government. He arrived at Raj Bhavan with senior alliance leaders, including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha and others.

Nitish Stakes Claim

Kumar presented a list of 202 newly elected NDA MLAs to the Governor while seeking permission to form the government. The Governor has since invited him to do so. Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar was unanimously chosen as the leader of the NDA legislative party during a meeting in the Central Hall of the Legislative Assembly. Prior to this, he had also been elected leader of the JD(U) legislative party.

Oath Ceremony Date and Schedule

Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday, November 20, at a grand ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. The event will begin at 1 pm, with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administering the oath at around 1:30 pm.

Likely Cabinet Ministers

At the BJP legislative party meeting, Samrat Choudhary was elected leader and Vijay Kumar Sinha named deputy leader. Both are expected to be sworn in as ministers and will serve as Deputy Chief Ministers. Sources indicate that approximately 20 ministers may take the oath alongside Nitish Kumar.

Guests, VVIP Arrivals

The ceremony is likely to see the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several Union Ministers, and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is also expected to attend. In anticipation of heavy VVIP movement, extensive security and traffic measures have been implemented along the route from Patna Airport to Gandhi Maidan.

Gandhi Maidan’s Historic Significance

Nitish Kumar will be taking the oath at Gandhi Maidan after a decade. The last swearing-in at this iconic venue took place in 2015. Prior to that, ceremonies were held here in 2005 and 2010. In 2020, COVID-19 restrictions necessitated shifting the event to Raj Bhavan.