Nitish to become CM for 10th time? What keeps Bihar's longest-serving CM electorally relevant
The NDA's landslide win is being attributed to Kumar's appeal among women voters, mainly on the back of women's empowerment initiatives.
- Nov 14, 2025,
- Updated Nov 14, 2025 12:04 PM IST
As the NDA is all set to form the government in Bihar, Nitish Kumar will be holding the reins for the 10th time. According to initial trends, the NDA has done a Maharashtra 2.0 in the northern state. While the NDA has bagged a total of 190 seats, the Mahagathbandhan has sunk to 49 seats.
The NDA's landslide win is being attributed to Kumar's appeal among women voters, mainly on the back of women's empowerment initiatives. Moreover, the win is also being seen as Bihar's 'thank-you note' to Nitish Kumar, who, as per experts, may be fighting his last election.
But why is Nitish Kumar so indispensable to Bihar politics? When he took office for the very first time in 2005 after 15 years of 'jungle-raj', Kumar worked hard to transform Bihar's image through initiatives in road infrastructure, rural electrification, education, and women's empowerment.
These initiatives earned him the moniker Sushasan Babu, along with a loyal voter base, especially among women. Moreover, he cultivated a strong support base among the extremely backward classes (EBCs), which often remains loyal to him regardless of his alliance partners.
Even though the JD(U) may not be strong enough to win a majority of its own, Nitish Kumar holds enough influence to be an essential partner for either the NDA or the INDI bloc, making him a kingmaker while earning him the nickname 'Paltu Ram' (turncoat).
He parted ways with the BJP in 2013 after Narendra Modi emerged as the saffron party's national face and joined hands with Lalu Prasad's RJD and Congress for the 2015 elections, forming the Mahagathbandhan.
In 2017, he again went back to the NDA, citing corruption in the NDA and took oath as the chief minister. In 2020, the NDA won a narrow majority in Bihar's assembly, with the JD(U)'s seats going down to 43 and the BJP securing 74.
Following this, he broke away from the NDA in August 2022 and formed a new coalition with the RJD, Congress and Left with Tejashwi Yadav as his deputy. In January 2024, Nitish left the INDIA bloc and rejoined the NDA right before the Lok Sabha polls, taking oath as the Bihar CM for the ninth time.
Despite being labelled 'Paltu Ram', Nitish is relevant due to his political acumen and ability to navigate Bihar's complex, caste-driven political landscape. Notably, Nitish has consistently chosen to become a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), allowing him to serve as CM without facing direct anti-incumbency in an assembly seat.
As the NDA is all set to form the government in Bihar, Nitish Kumar will be holding the reins for the 10th time. According to initial trends, the NDA has done a Maharashtra 2.0 in the northern state. While the NDA has bagged a total of 190 seats, the Mahagathbandhan has sunk to 49 seats.
The NDA's landslide win is being attributed to Kumar's appeal among women voters, mainly on the back of women's empowerment initiatives. Moreover, the win is also being seen as Bihar's 'thank-you note' to Nitish Kumar, who, as per experts, may be fighting his last election.
But why is Nitish Kumar so indispensable to Bihar politics? When he took office for the very first time in 2005 after 15 years of 'jungle-raj', Kumar worked hard to transform Bihar's image through initiatives in road infrastructure, rural electrification, education, and women's empowerment.
These initiatives earned him the moniker Sushasan Babu, along with a loyal voter base, especially among women. Moreover, he cultivated a strong support base among the extremely backward classes (EBCs), which often remains loyal to him regardless of his alliance partners.
Even though the JD(U) may not be strong enough to win a majority of its own, Nitish Kumar holds enough influence to be an essential partner for either the NDA or the INDI bloc, making him a kingmaker while earning him the nickname 'Paltu Ram' (turncoat).
He parted ways with the BJP in 2013 after Narendra Modi emerged as the saffron party's national face and joined hands with Lalu Prasad's RJD and Congress for the 2015 elections, forming the Mahagathbandhan.
In 2017, he again went back to the NDA, citing corruption in the NDA and took oath as the chief minister. In 2020, the NDA won a narrow majority in Bihar's assembly, with the JD(U)'s seats going down to 43 and the BJP securing 74.
Following this, he broke away from the NDA in August 2022 and formed a new coalition with the RJD, Congress and Left with Tejashwi Yadav as his deputy. In January 2024, Nitish left the INDIA bloc and rejoined the NDA right before the Lok Sabha polls, taking oath as the Bihar CM for the ninth time.
Despite being labelled 'Paltu Ram', Nitish is relevant due to his political acumen and ability to navigate Bihar's complex, caste-driven political landscape. Notably, Nitish has consistently chosen to become a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), allowing him to serve as CM without facing direct anti-incumbency in an assembly seat.