Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister for the tenth time on Thursday. The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 am at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, where an estimated three lakh people are expected to gather. Several national leaders will attend the high-profile event.
As preparations intensify, the names of ministers likely to take oath alongside Nitish Kumar have started surfacing, with the first being Samrat Choudhary.
Samrat Choudhary: BJP’s Pick for Deputy Chief Minister
The BJP has appointed Samrat Choudhary as the leader of its legislative party, clearing the way for him to become Deputy Chief Minister.
His father, Shakuni Choudhary, was a senior RJD leader and had attracted controversy over remarks made about PM Modi before eventually joining the BJP. Questions have also been raised about Samrat Choudhary’s educational qualifications after he mentioned the title “Doctor” in his affidavit.
In the outgoing Nitish government, he served as Deputy CM and held the Finance and Commerce portfolios. A member of the Legislative Council, he belongs to the Kushwaha community. Choudhary won the Tarapur seat in Munger in the 2025 Assembly elections with 1,22,480 votes, defeating RJD’s Arun Kumar by 76,637 votes. Jan Suraaj candidate Santosh Kumar secured 3,898 votes.
He first became a minister in 1999 and was elected MLA for the first time from Parbatta in 2000. In 2014, he led a rebellion with 13 legislators and joined the BJP. By 2022, he had become Leader of the Opposition.
Assets (2025): ₹11,34,82,854
Assets (2020): ₹8,85,90,222; Liabilities: ₹68,00,000
Vijay Kumar Sinha: Set to Return as Deputy Chief Minister
The BJP has once again entrusted Vijay Kumar Sinha with a major responsibility by selecting him as deputy leader, making him set to return as Deputy Chief Minister.
Sinha has been continuously elected from Lakhisarai since 2005 (2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2025). Despite facing internal opposition during the 2025 polls, he secured victory by a large margin.
He served as the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly from November 2020 to August 2022, after which he became Leader of the Opposition. From 2017 to 2020, he was Minister for Labour Resources. As of January 2025, he has also been serving as the Agriculture Minister.
Assets (2025): ₹11,62,45,805
Assets (2020): ₹8,93,71,448
He received 1,22,408 votes this time, defeating the Congress candidate by 24,940 votes. The Jan Suraaj candidate secured 8,722 votes.
Renu Devi: BJP’s Senior Woman Leader and Former Deputy CM
Senior BJP leader Renu Devi, who previously served as Bihar’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister, is also likely to be part of the new cabinet.
She has handled key departments such as Animal and Fishery Resources, Backward Classes Welfare, and Disaster Management. First elected in 2000, she served as BJP’s national vice president from 2014 to 2020.
In 2025, she contested from Bettiah for the sixth time and won with 91,907 votes, defeating Congress’s Wase Ahmad by 22,373 votes.
Assets (2025): ₹5,37,55,225
Assets (2020): ₹3,69,15,100
Mangal Pandey: Senior BJP Leader Wins from Siwan
BJP veteran Mangal Pandey won from Siwan, defeating RJD’s Awadh Bihari Choudhary by 9,370 votes. He previously served as Health Minister in the Nitish government and has been associated with the ABVP. He has also served as the Bihar BJP President.
Assets (2025): ₹3,42,66,617
Shreyasi Singh: Commonwealth Gold Medallist Secures Big Win
Shreyasi Singh, daughter of former Union minister Digvijay Singh, joined the BJP in 2020 and became MLA from Jamui. She retained her seat this year with a massive victory.
An accomplished shooter, she won Gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Silver in 2014, and a Bronze in the 2014 Asian Games (team event).
Academically, she studied Arts at Hansraj College, Delhi, and completed her MBA from Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad.
Shreyasi received 1,23,868 votes, defeating the RJD candidate by 54,498 votes.
Assets (2025): ₹7,63,17,262
Assets (2020): ₹4,39,51,700
Prashant Kishor’s Warning Before Cabinet Formation
On 18 November, Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor warned that no tainted or corrupt individual should be inducted as a minister. He cautioned that the public has not voted for a “mandate to plunder”, and said that if any of the four individuals facing corruption allegations are made ministers, Jan Suraaj will approach the courts.
Which Other BJP Leaders May Remain in the Cabinet?
According to BJP sources, most ministers from the outgoing cabinet are likely to be retained, along with three new faces.
Likely to Continue as Ministers (BJP):
- Prem Kumar
- Nitish Mishra
- Jivesh Kumar
- Neeraj Kumar Singh
- Janak Ram
- Hari Sahni
- Kedar Prasad Gupta
- Surendra Mehta
- Santosh Kumar Singh
- Sunil Kumar
- Moti Lal Prasad
Possible New BJP Faces:
- Anand Mishra (former IPS officer, MLA from Buxar)
- Rana Randhir
- Gayatri Devi
- Vijay Kumar Khemka
Which JDU Leaders Can Become Ministers?
Several senior JDU leaders are likely to take oath with Nitish Kumar, forming the party’s core representation in the new cabinet.
Likely JDU Ministers:
- Bijendra Prasad Yadav
- Vijay Kumar Chaudhary
- Shravan Kumar
- Sunil Kumar
- Lesy Singh
- Sheela Mandal
- Madan Sahni
- Ratnesh Sada
- Mohammad Jama Khan
- Jayant Raj
- Umesh Singh Kushwaha
- Ashok Chaudhary
Other Possible Names From JDU:
- Rahul Kumar Singh
- Sudhanshu Shekhar
- Kaladhar Prasad Mandal
- Panna Lal Singh Patel