Who will be next Bihar CM? Chirag Paswan meets Nitish Kumar in Patna as suspense continues

Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his residence in Patna on Saturday amid suspense over the next Bihar chief minister.

Paswan said he extended his wishes to Nitish Kumar on the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) resounding success in the Bihar Assembly elections.

"I met the CM, congratulated him and extended him best wishes. The NDA registered a historic victory under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. So, a delegation of LJP(RV) met him and congratulated him," Chirag Paswan said after meeting CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday.

Chirag Paswan said CM Nitish Kumar appreciated the role of every alliance partner in the NDA. He also hit out at the Opposition for promoting "misleading" people by setting up a false narrative between JD(U) and LJP (RV).

"I am delighted that the CM appreciated the role of every alliance partner in the NDA. He supported the LJP(RV) candidate when he went to vote. In Alauli, where I vote, I supported the JD(U) candidate. This shows that those people were misleading regarding JD(U) and LJP(RV) and were just setting a false narrative," Paswan said.

Suspense over the next Bihar chief minister

After the NDA's historic win in Bihar, the suspense continues over the next Bihar chief minister. Nitish Kumar, who has been holding the post for decades, is eyeing another term as the chief minister.

JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak said on Saturday, “No one other than Nitish Kumar will take oath. The Chief Minister will decide the date of the oath-taking ceremony.”

However, many believe that the BJP, which emerged as the largest-single party in the Bihar Elections, could field its own CM candidate.

While the question remains, several posters with phrases such as “Tiger Zinda Hai,” and “Hamre Bihar Ka Eke Star, Har Baar Nitish Kumar” surfaced in the state after the Election Commission's Bihar results showed the ruling NDA well above the majority mark.

‘Nitish Kumar will remain Bihar CM,’ says Chirag Paswan

Ahead of the final Bihar Election result declaration on Friday, Chirag Paswan said that he firmly believed that Nitish Kumar would continue to remain the state's chief minister.

"I firmly believe that Nitish Kumar will remain the Bihar chief minister. Arrogance is the cause for the opposition's humiliating loss and it is the sole factor that led to its downfall," Paswan had said.

"Our overwhelming victory is on account of the strength of the double-engine government which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and our chief minister Nitish Kumar in the state. The people of Bihar have reposed complete faith in the unity of the NDA partners which has led to this win," he added.

NDA wins Bihar Election 2025

The NDA registered a historic victory in the 2025 Bihar Elections, winning 202 of the 243 seats in the state. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan could secure only 35 seats.

The NDA secured a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200 mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats.

Final Bihar Election Results: Party-wise score

In the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 89 seats, emerging as the single-largest party. The Janata Dal (United) won 85, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) won 19, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS) won five, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha won four seats.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won 25 seats, Indian National Congress 6, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) - CPI(ML)(L) - two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) - one, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) - one seat. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat.