Nitish Kumar, who formed a fresh government in Bihar on Sunday after walking out of the Mahagathbandhan and joining hands with the BJP, said he would never leave the National Democratic Alliance.
The JD(U) president, who took oath as the chief minister for a record ninth time, also asserted that with the NDA government at the Centre and state, development work would gain momentum.
"I was with them (NDA) earlier, too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so... I came back to where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else," the 72-year-old leader said while taking to reporters after the swearing-in.
Ending days long speculations, Nitish on Sunday announced his decision to snap alliance with the RJD and the Congress and to join the BJP-led NDA, in what could be his fifth flip-flop in a decade.
"You people know that I believe in work and the same will continue. I will keep doing work for the overall development of the state,” the chief minister said.
BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha will be the deputy chief ministers.
JD(U) members Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Yadav and Shrawan Kumar also took oath apart from former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustan Awam Morcha's Santosh Kumar Suman and independent legislator Sumit Singh.
In a post on X, Nitish said: "I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of all the people of Bihar...and also on my own behalf...for his good wishes. The new government (NDA) has been formed in Bihar and we will keep serving people of the state, which is our basic objective. With the NDA government at the Centre and state, development work will gain momentum".