Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar was sworn in as chief minister of the state for the 9th time on Sunday, shortly after he severed ties with the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ saying that his alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would remain forever, adding that there is now no question of going anywhere else.

Delivering a massive blow to the INDIA bloc ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar told ANI, “I was with them (NDA) earlier too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so. Today, eight people have taken the oath as ministers, and the rest will take the oath soon. Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha have been appointed as Deputy Chief Ministers.”

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he responded to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s prediction that “JDU will be finished in 2024” and asserted that their party would focus on the development and progress of the state.

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“We work for the development and progress of Bihar. We will keep doing the same, nothing else. Tejashwi was not doing anything. Now I came back to where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else,” he added.

Amidst days of speculation, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar resigned from his position as Chief Minister of Bihar on January 28, marking his second reversal in less than 18 months. Cutting ties with the RJD and Congress, Nitish has formed a new government in Bihar with BJP’s support.

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Citing the state of affairs as “not right” under the Mahagathbandhan (RJD-JD(U)-Congress alliance), Nitish Kumar explained that the decision stemmed from various suggestions he received, including those from his party workers.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the RJD holds 79 MLAs, followed by the BJP with 78, JD(U) with 45, Congress with 19, CPI (M-L) with 12, and two each for the CPI(M) and CPI. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has four seats, and AIMIM holds one, along with one Independent legislator.

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From the year 2000 to the current day, Nitish Kumar has served as Bihar’s Chief Minister on eight occasions. In 2013, Nitish parted ways with the NDA after a 17-year alliance, triggered by the announcement of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. Expressing his dissatisfaction with Modi’s selection, Nitish conveyed his concerns to the BJP. When the BJP chose not to alter its decision, Kumar exited the alliance.

Nitish formed a grand alliance with the RJD and Congress, returning as chief minister in 2015. However, he walked out of the grand alliance in 2017 and came into an alliance with the NDA, citing corruption allegations against the RJD and claiming governance issues in the state.

In 2022, Nitish Kumar once again severed ties with the BJP, alleging a conspiracy against him and accusing the BJP of attempting to influence JD(U) MLAs to rebel against him. Following his departure from the BJP in 2022, Nitish Kumar took the lead in uniting opposition forces to collectively challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling party in the national elections.