Patna

The newly elected Bihar Legislative Assembly held its first session on Monday with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and newly elected MLAs in attendance.

Before the session commenced, legislators expressed their commitment to work for the welfare of the people and the development of their constituencies. JD(U) MLA-elect Vinay Kumar Chaudhary said the party’s priority remains public service. LJP-Ramvilas MLA Vishnu Deo Paswan noted that his focus will be on creating employment opportunities so that the youth of Bihar are not compelled to migrate for work. He added that political hurdles in the past slowed the state’s progress.

Protem Speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav announced that the session will begin with his address followed by the oath-taking of newly elected legislators. Ministers will take the oath first, followed by the Leader of Opposition and then the rest of the MLAs.

Responding to speculation about switching parties, BSP MLA Satish Kumar Singh Yadav denied any contact with the BJP, stating that he remains fully committed to working for development in his constituency, Ramgarh. RJD MLA Bhai Virendra criticised the formation of the NDA government, alleging that it came to power without a genuine public mandate. He said the opposition may have fewer numbers but will continue to raise issues concerning people.

BJP MLA-elect Maithili Thakur, the youngest legislator in the history of the Bihar Assembly, described the day as significant and said taking the oath marked the beginning of a new phase in her life.

Last month, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributed portfolios among NDA ministers. Samrat Choudhary took charge of the Home Department, making this the first time since 2005 that Kumar will not handle the home portfolio. He has retained departments including General Administration, Cabinet Secretariat, Vigilance and Election. Vijay Kumar Sinha will oversee Land and Revenue along with Geology and Mines.

In the expanded cabinet, Mangal Pandey retained Health and received the Law portfolio. BJP leaders Dilip Jaiswal, Nitin Nabin, Arun Shankar Prasad, Ramkripal Yadav, Lakhendra Kumar Raushan, Sanjay Singh Tiger, Narayan Prasad, Shreyasi Singh, Surendra Mehta, Rama Nishad and Pramod Kumar have been allocated major departments such as Industries, Roads and Urban Development, Tourism, Agriculture, SC/ST Welfare, Labour Resources, Disaster Management, Information and Public Relations, Sports, Animal and Fisheries Resources, Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare, Cooperation and Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

JD(U) MLC Ashok Choudhary has been given Rural Works, while HAM(S) leader Santosh Kumar Suman will handle Education and Minor Irrigation.

The cabinet formation followed Nitish Kumar's swearing-in for a record tenth term, with 26 NDA MLAs inducted as ministers. The NDA secured a sweeping victory in the 2025 assembly polls, winning 202 of 243 seats. The BJP won 89 seats, JD(U) 85, LJP-Ramvilas 19, HAM(S) five and Rashtriya Lok Morcha four.

Among opposition parties, the RJD won 25 seats, Congress six, CPI(ML) Liberation two, IIP one and CPI(M) one. AIMIM secured five seats while BSP won one.

READ MORE: Unity Reel Challenge: Showcase India’s unity in 90 seconds and win a bumper prize

If the current government completes its full five-year term, Nitish Kumar is poised to surpass Jyoti Basu’s record as the longest-serving Chief Minister in the country.