Bihar is moving quickly toward forming its next government, with the swearing-in ceremony expected on November 19 or 20. The final date will depend on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schedule. Preparations at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan are already underway, and leaders from BJP-ruled states are expected to attend alongside the Prime Minister.

Election Commission to Complete Formalities

The Election Commission will submit the final results of the 18th Bihar Assembly elections to Governor Rajendra Arlekar today. After this, the Governor will issue the notification constituting the new Assembly, which will officially end the Model Code of Conduct.

Nitish Kumar Set to Resign

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called a cabinet meeting on Monday to approve the dissolution of the outgoing 17th Assembly. He is then likely to visit the Raj Bhavan and submit his resignation.

Once he steps down, NDA partners will hold separate legislature party meetings to choose their leader. The selected leader will then meet the Governor to claim the right to form the next government.

NDA Wins Clear Majority

The NDA has secured a strong majority in the new Assembly. The BJP leads the alliance with 89 seats, followed closely by Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), which won 85 seats. Among the smaller allies, LJP (Ramvilas) secured 19 seats, HAM (Secular) won 5, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha obtained 4.

On the other side, the Mahagathbandhan suffered a major setback, managing only 35 seats.

Opposition Suffers Heavy Losses

The 2025 verdict is a sharp reversal from 2020, when the Mahagathbandhan posed a serious challenge. This time, the alliance struggled across the state. The RJD underperformed sharply, while the Congress collapsed, winning only 6 seats. Its vote share of 8.71 per cent—slightly lower than in 2020—failed to convert into seats because of poor organisation and weak candidate selection.