Patna, November 20,2025 – In the stifling heat of Bihar’s political cauldron, tomorrow’s dawn brings not just sunlight but a procession of Significant proportions. Nitish Kumar, the invincible ‘Sushasan Babu’ of Bihar, is poised to raise his right hand for the 10th time as Chief Minister, engraving his name deeper into the annals of Indian politics. At 74, this Kurmi Powerful from Bakhtiarpur isn’t just vow an oath; he’s scripting a comeback saga that defies age, association , and even eulogy written in election ink. As Gandhi Maidan murmur with preparations—complete with enormous security arrangement and floral tributes—the air crackles with questions: Is this Nitish’s swan song, or the launchpad for Bihar’s next developmental figurative? And in the shadow of a landslide NDA victory, what does this mean for the fragile tapestry of national politics?
Nitish’s 10th oath at Gandhi Maidan: Modi headlines, Shah & Nadda flank, NDA’s galaxy descends for a saffron spectacle that screams “double-engine triumph” while Tejashwi’s crushed INDIA bloc watches from the shadows, plotting 2029 revenge. Their presence isn’t mere optics; it’s a high-stakes nod to the alliance that propelled the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a staggering 202 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, announced just days ago on November 14. This isn’t a pyrrhic win—it’s a rout. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan (MGB) limped to a mere 35 seats, their dreams of a Tejashwi Yadav-led resurgence disintegrate under the weight of voter fatigue and fractured vote banks. Trending on X since yesterday, hashtags like Nitish Kumar 10th Oath and Bihar NDA Win are flooded with memes of Nitish as a phoenix rising—complete with edits overspread him on a bicycle, incline to his iconic 2010 campaign symbol. One viral post jest, “Nitish Kumar tying the record for most oaths without getting tired—Bihar’s eternal CM or just good at comebacks?” Laughter aside, the buzz emphasizes a deeper truth: Bihar voted for firmness over turbulence.
Recur to the panic-stricken polls of November 6-11, and the political angle sharpens into a blade. Nitish, often derided as ‘Paltu Ram’ for his nine alliance flips since 1990—from BJP to RJD and back—faced a make-or-break moment. Critics, including Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (which blanked out not with standing contesting 238 seats), hammered him on stagnation: persistent unemployment driving youth migration, caste census promises unfulfilled, and mumble of corruption in schemes like the women’s cash transfer program. Yet, the electorate—especially women, empowered by Rs 10,000 monthly handouts to over a crore legatee—chose continuity. Exit polls had pegged a close fight, but the NDA’s juggernaut rolled on, floated by BJP’s upper-caste merging, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s Dalit outreach under Chirag Paswan, and Nitish’s JD(U) holding firm among exceedingly Backward Classes (EBCs). As one X user from Bihar_se_hai posted a throwback video of Nitish’s son, heading it “His father’s 10th oath— a win for legacy?” it captured the drippiness: voters see in Nitish a bulwark against the ‘jungle raj’ ghosts of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s era.
But peel back the celebratory veneer, and the political connotation roil. Within the NDA, power-sharing talks have been a delicate dance. BJP, with 130 seats, clinched both Deputy CM berths—Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha retaining theirs—while JD(U)’s 70 MLAs secure the CM’s chair and key portfolios like finance and home. Smaller allies like Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) under Jitan Ram Manjhi are content with crumbs, stand one’s ground they’re “not bargaining” but eyeing rural development slots. Sources whisper of late-night huddles with Amit Shah, finalizing a 30-minister cabinet blending fresh faces (six new JD(U) entrants) with veterans. This blueprint isn’t just administrative; it’s a BJP masterstroke to keep Nitish leashed, especially after his 2022 flip-flop that briefly toppled the NDA. Trending X threads dissect this: “BJP’s Bihar blueprint—Nitish as face, but Delhi pulls strings?” Analyst tweets alarm over federal overreach eroding state sovereignty.
Opposition hears a funeral dirge in today’s oath: Tejashwi’s youth-and-jobs crusade lies buried under NDA’s 202-seat avalanche, while Rohini Acharya’s public family brawls expose the dynasty’s cracks and hand the BJP its favourite “parivarvad” stick for 2029. Congress’s drubbing (single-digit seats) prompts brooding, with Rahul Gandhi huddling with Mallikarjun Kharge post-results. On X, TejashwiFail trends bitterly, with users bemoan, Bihar crushed dynasty 2.0: NDA romps to 202/243 seats, Nitish back for term 10.
Yet a battered INDIA bloc, down to 35, may now sharpen its anti-NDA blade for 2029 Lok Sabha.
Zoom out, and Nitish’s longevity unmasks Bihar’s contradiction. Bihar has traded jungle raj for order: Nitish’s 2005–10 crackdown on crime, new highways, 24×7 power in most districts, and millions of girls in school are real. Yet jobs remain scarce, forcing lakhs to migrate, and caste arithmetic still decides who wins—and who burns—on counting day. His win, analysts argue, is less a personal triumph than a referendum on Modi’s national appeal filtering down—coupled with targeted prosperity that swayed women voters en masse. JDU’s KC Tyagi, in a fiery TV byte trending nationwide, contrasted Nitish’s “development era” with Lalu’s “dark ages,” urging Bihar to “embrace this new flight.
As the sun rises on November 20, Gandhi Maidan’s podium expect. Will Nitish, in his conciseness speech, unveil bold visions—a caste census push, mega job fairs, or green energy hubs? Or will it be the usual discourse on ‘sushasan’? With Modi watching, expect promises laced with national synergy: more funds via the Centre’s coffer. For Bihar’s 13 crore souls, this 10th oath isn’t mere ritual—it’s a pact renewed, fraught with hope and the ghosts of flip-flops past.
In the end, Nitish Kumar undergo not despite his flaws, but because of them. Flawed, yet trusted—the conclusive Bihar paradox. Tomorrow, as oaths echo, one wonders: How many more chapters will this Kurmi tale write? For now, Bihar holds its breath.
