Patna: A major state ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan will see a significant departure from established protocol, with former chief minister Nitish Kumar no longer occupying a central position on the main dais for the first time in over two decades.
The cabinet expansion event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Union ministers, and top state leadership. According to the seating plan, the five central chairs on the dais will be reserved for constitutional and executive heads, with the Prime Minister occupying the central seat. To his right will sit the governor and deputy chief minister, while the chief minister and second deputy chief minister will be placed to his left.
Nitish Kumar, who has been one of Bihar’s dominant political figures for nearly 21 years, will not be seated among the central five chairs. Instead, he will be positioned to the left of the Prime Minister in a section designated for Union ministers and members of parliament. However, officials have ensured that he remains in the front row, alongside other senior leaders, allowing visibility to the assembled public.
The arrangement marks a notable shift in the visual hierarchy of the event, reflecting formal protocol rather than political prominence. Around 70 chairs have been set up on the left side of the Prime Minister for Union cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and MPs from both houses of parliament. A microphone in this section will be used for administering oaths.
On the opposite side, 36 chairs have been arranged for members of the legislative assembly and legislative council who are due to take their oaths. The immediate area around these seats will also house microphones and officials responsible for collecting signatures and completing procedural formalities.
Behind the central dais, access will be restricted to a small group of officials, including the governor’s aide-de-camp, security personnel from the Special Protection Group, the chief minister’s secretary, and senior district administrators, including the additional district magistrate R K Diwakar.
The ceremony is expected to draw a large number of senior political figures. Confirmed attendees include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, governor Syed Ata Hasnain, chief minister Samrat Choudhary, and deputy chief ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav. Several Union ministers are also scheduled to attend, among them Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, J P Nadda, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Chirag Paswan, Satish Chandra Dubey, Raj Bhushan Choudhary Nishad, Giriraj Singh and Nityanand Rai. Former chief minister Nitish Kumar is also listed among the dignitaries present.
Chief ministers from BJP-ruled states and other senior political leaders are expected to be in attendance as well.
One notable feature of the seating plan is the positioning of BJP national president Nitin Nabin, whose seat is placed ahead of that of senior Union minister Amit Shah, widely regarded as the party’s second most powerful figure after the prime minister. Nabin is seated alongside several senior leaders, including Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda, as well as Nitish Kumar.
Officials have described the arrangement as being based strictly on protocol requirements for the ceremonial event.
