In a significant political development, Nitish Kumar has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the ninth time, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its partner. The oath-taking ceremony took place shortly after his appointment, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending his congratulations to the new Bihar team and the Chief Minister.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his confidence in the development endeavors of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. Through a tweet, he wrote, "The NDA government formed in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfil the aspirations of its people. Congratulate @NitishKumar ji on becoming Chief Minister and Samrat Chaudhary ji and Vijay Sinha ji on taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers."

In response, Nitish Kumar thanked the Prime Minister for his well wishes and cooperation, highlighting that the government's primary objective is to serve the people. He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, stating, "On my own behalf and on behalf of all the people of Bihar, I express my gratitude to Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for his congratulations and good wishes and thank him wholeheartedly for his cooperation. A new government has been formed in Bihar with the NDA alliance. The public is the master, and serving them is our basic objective."

However, the political realignment in Bihar and Nitish Kumar's multiple political shifts in the past decade have earned him the nickname "paltumaar" or "paltu Kumar" - someone who frequently changes their stance. Nitish Kumar's decision to align with the BJP has drawn criticism from various quarters, including poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who referred to all parties and leaders in Bihar as "paltumaars."

Kishor pointed out that the BJP had earlier declared that its doors were closed for Nitish Kumar. He claimed that the BJP leaders, who were verbally critical of Kumar, would now hail him as a symbol of good governance. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which had previously praised Kumar as a leader of the future, has now criticized him, citing corruption in Bihar.

Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav, the former deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, called Nitish Kumar a "tired Chief Minister" as he joined forces with the BJP once again. Yadav stated, "It seems we made a tired CM (chief minister) work. The game is not over yet."

Explaining his decision, Nitish Kumar expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the Grand Alliance, which he had helped form in August 2022. He highlighted that the situation was not favorable and criticized the Opposition bloc, INDIA, which he had engineered.

With Nitish Kumar at the helm once again, the state of Bihar is poised for a new era of governance and development. As the new government sets its sights on fulfilling the aspirations of the people, it remains to be seen how the political landscape in Bihar will evolve in the coming months and years.