Nitish Kumar On The Brink Of 10th Oath As CM Amid NDA Surge, Cements His Bihar Dominance

Last Updated:November 14, 2025, 14:02 IST

With NDA winning the 2025 elections, Nitish Kumar is set for a third consecutive term and a record tenth oath, making him Bihar’s longest-serving and most enduring Chief Minister.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

As the results for the 2025 elections pour in with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sailing past the majority mark with a comfortable margin, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar might be the face for the CM’s office once again. 

If that is the case, the nicknamed Sushasan Babu might be looking at a third consecutive term and a tenth-time oath to the highest office in the state.

The JDU Supremo may be doing more than simply returning to office. He has achieved two significant records at once: a long consecutive stay in power, and an unusually high number of separate oaths as Chief Minister of Bihar.

Consecutive Terms: A Decade at the Helm

Nitish Kumar has now completed a continuous stretch of 10 years and some months in the Chief Minister’s chair. This is the longest uninterrupted term any CM of Bihar has managed. 

He first took office in 2005, but it is his latest stint, beginning in 2015 and continuing without a break for 10 years, that cements his place in Bihar’s political timeline. Add his earlier terms, and his cumulative tenure crosses 18 years, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister in Bihar’s history.

In contrast:

• Sri Krishna Sinha, the state’s first post-Independence CM, held a single uninterrupted stretch of 14 years 314 days, making him historically the longest continuous-run CM in Bihar.
• Nevertheless, when cumulative years across multiple spells are considered, Nitish has overtaken him.

Oaths Taken: Re-Appointments and Terms

Another marker of political durability is how many times a leader has taken the oath of office as CM. Nitish Kumar has taken the oath nine times, and presumably the tenth time, following astounding results secured by the NDA.

This tells us two things:

• While his continuous run is long, the fact of multiple oaths reflects several “new” governments or resets (changes in alliances, reshuffles, resignations, and re-appointments).
• Frequent oath-taking indicates a volatile coalition politics environment in which staying power requires adaptability.

By comparison, older leaders often had fewer separate terms (and hence fewer swearing-ins) but might have had longer uninterrupted service in a single term.

How Nitish Compares: The Longest-Serving CMs of Bihar

1. Sri Krishna Sinha:

Before Nitish, the state’s record for longevity belonged to Sri Krishna Sinha, Bihar’s first Chief Minister after independence. Widely remembered as “Sri Babu,” he ruled continuously for over 14 years, steering Bihar through its formative decades. His total tenure was a little over 17 years, which set a benchmark that stood unchallenged for more than half a century.

Nitish has now overtaken him in cumulative years, but Sinha’s uninterrupted rule remains a historic milestone.

2. Lalu Prasad Yadav

In the 1990s, Lalu Prasad Yadav became the defining force of Bihar politics. He served for over five years continuously and more than seven years cumulatively as CM. His tenure transformed the state’s political landscape, ushering in the era of caste-centric mobilisation and social justice, often described by many as jungle raj.

3. Rabri Devi 

Following Lalu’s resignation in 1997 for his involvement in the fodder scam, his wife, Rabri Devi, took charge and went on to become the state’s longest-serving woman Chief Minister. She held office for nearly five continuous years, and over seven years in total, navigating the state through a period marked by political turbulence, allegations, and shifting alliances.

With the NDA cruising to a clear majority, Nitish Kumar stands on the brink of yet another historic milestone of a potential third consecutive term and a record-setting tenth oath. His decade-long uninterrupted rule and unmatched cumulative tenure place him firmly as Bihar’s most enduring political figure, underscoring both his adaptability and his influence over the state’s politics.

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