Bihar polls 2025: From NDA to RJD and back, how many times has Nitish Kumar taken oath as CM?

As Bihar gears up for the 2025 assembly elections, all eyes are on Nitish Kumar, a veteran politician whose career has been defined by multiple tenures as Chief Minister and frequent alliance switches. With elections scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, and results on November 14, Nitish’s political moves continue to shape Bihar’s electoral landscape. Here are nine times Kumar has taken political U-turns to remain in power:

Nitish Kumar first became Bihar’s Chief Minister in March 2000, representing the Janata Dal. This government, however, was short-lived due to a fractured mandate, lasting only a 7 days before being dismissed. It marked his entry into the top post at a time of political instability.

Following the 2005 assembly elections, Nitish took oath for the second time as Chief Minister, this time leading a coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the NDA banner. This tenure marked the beginning of his efforts to strengthen law and order and focus on infrastructure development.

Kumar's government also initiated bicycle and meal programs. Nitish was re-elected in the 2010 assembly elections and sworn in for the third time. His NDA government continued to consolidate power, emphasising governance reforms, road development, and social initiatives. On May 17, 2014, Kumar submitted his resignation to the Governor of Bihar, a day after his party fared poorly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

After Jitan Ram Majhi stepped down as CM, Nitish took oath again for the fourth time as the chief minister.

In 2015, after forming the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, Nitish took oath again. This tenure reflected his strategic shift to keep the BJP out of power, and the alliance won a decisive mandate.

In July 2017, Nitish resigned from the Grand Alliance citing corruption issues against RJD leaders. He then rejoined the NDA and took oath as Chief Minister for the sixth time, marking a dramatic political turnaround and a return to the BJP fold.

Following the 2020 assembly elections, Nitish Kumar was sworn in for the seventh time as part of the NDA government. His coalition continued to focus on governance, development projects, and maintaining political stability.

In August 2022, after internal disagreements and a political realignment within Bihar’s NDA coalition, Nitish once again took oath as Chief Minister with RJD's support, this time Tejashwi Yadav took charge as his deputy. This tenure reflected his continued dominance in state politics and ability to navigate shifting alliances.

Nitish Kumar’s ninth oath came in January 2024, hours after he tendered his resignation as CM of the RJD-JD(U) government, ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. This time he joined hands with NDA to form alliance.