Nitish Kumar Takes Oath As Bihar CM For 9th Time After Another U-Turn To BJP, 8 Ministers Inducted In New Cabinet

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took oath as the state's CM for the record ninth time along with eight more as cabinet ministers.

In a record, Janta Dal-United (JD(U)) leader Nitish Kumar took oath as the state's CM for the ninth time on Sunday. Along with Kumar, BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Sinha have also taken oath as his deputies. Bringing closure to the fast-unraveling political events earlier in the day, Nitish tendered his resignation letter to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, along with letters of support from BJP MLAs.

Accepting his resignation letter, the Governor asked him to perform his administrative tasks as caretaker chief minister till the next administration is formed.

Earlier, in his initial reply to the political turbulence following his resignation as the CM of Bihar, Nitish Kumar stated that the state of affairs in the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand coalition) created one and a half years ago was 'not good'.

BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha also took oath as Cabinet Ministers in Bihar government on Sunday. Following the oath, the Bihar Chief Minister confirmed their names as his deputies.

Along with them, BJP's Prem Kumar took oath as minister in the new government. JD(U) members Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Yadav, and Shrawan Kumar have also been inducted in addition to former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustan Awam Morcha's Santosh Kumar Suman and independent legislator Sumit Singh. Other members of the council of ministers will be decided in a day or two, sources told PTI.

History Of Nitish Kumar Switching Sides

Bihar's longest-serving chief minister Kumar took oath for the first time on March, 2000, putting an end to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule.

In between 2000 and 2022, Kumar became Bihar's CM on eight occasions. 

Nitish Kumar has a long history of switching loyalties with parties to remain in power. 

His, first switch came in 1998, when he switched to BJP from Samata Party he had formed with George Fernandes in 1996. He was made minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

In 2003, Nitish Kumar joined hands with Sharad Yadav (who was earlier with RJD) and formed the Janata Dal (United).

In 2013, he broke a 17-year alliance with NDA when the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi was projected as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for Lok Sabha Polls. 

Kumar joined hands with RJD and Congress and returned as chief minister in 2015. However, he broke the alliance in 2017.

In 2022, Kumar again took oath as CM with RJD and Congress support. RJD leader and Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav took the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister. This time he broke ranks with BJP alleging that BJP was instigating JD-U MLAs to rebel against him.