Who will be next Bihar CM? Speculation rife after JD(U) deletes ‘Nitish to remain CM’ X post

All eyes are on Nitish Kumar, one of the longest-serving chief ministers in the state and a crucial figure in Bihar politics.

Updated on: Nov 14, 2025, 16:28:46 IST

Edited by Majid Alam

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After the NDA's massive win in the Bihar assembly election, all eyes are now on who will become the next chief minister. Though BJP leaders, including home minister Amit Shah and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, have insisted that Nitish Kumar will remain the CM, the NDA has faced attacks from the Mahagathbandhan for not declaring the CM face.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the election campaign in Patna. (Photo from X) (HT_PRINT)

A now-deleted X post from the JD(U) after the Bihar victory has added to the speculations.

Follow all the latest updates on Bihar election results

"Neither past nor future. Nitish Kumar was, is, and will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar," the JD(U) said in a post on Friday. However, soon after it was published, the post was deleted, triggering speculation.

Now, all eyes are on Nitish Kumar, one of the longest-serving chief ministers in the state and a crucial figure in the state's politics. The JD(U) leader has remained at the helm for a majority of the last two decades, irrespective of whichever alliance is in power.

Will Nitish Kumar be CM again?

Even before the results were announced, several posters were put up in Patna in support of Nitish Kumar. Posters with the JD(U) supreme with messages “Tiger abhi zinda hai” and “25 se 30, phir se Nitish” were spotted in the state capital.

Outside the chief minister's residence, a massive poster of Nitish Kumar standing beside a tiger, with the tagline 'tiger abhi zinda hai' (the tiger is still alive), became one of the highlights before the counting began.

The NDA has managed to clinch a massive victory this election crossing the 200-seat mark. The BJP has emerged as the largest party with 96 seats, while the JD(U) leading on 85 seats. The opposition Mahagathbandhan has been limited to 27 seats.

Though the NDA has the numbers, the speculations remain on whether Nitish Kumar will take oath as CM for the record tenth time.

Soon after the trends start coming in favour of NDA, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar attributed the early leads to welfare schemes under Nitish's leadership.

"Nitish Kumar ji will remain the chief minister as long as he wishes. His will, the people's aspiration and the NDA's resolve are aligned," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Majid Alam
Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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