Bihar Legislative Council: 10 new MLCs sworn in Patna, 9 from NDA
Synopsis
Nine of the ten newly sworn-in Bihar Legislative Council members belong to the NDA, cementing the alliance's dominance in the Upper House. The ceremony in Patna also spotlighted actor Pawan Singh's pitch for a Film City in Bihar and Health Minister Nishant Kumar's pledge to continue his father Nitish Kumar's Saat Nishchay agenda — making this oath-taking as much about political succession as legislative arithmetic.
Key Takeaways
Ten members were sworn into the Bihar Legislative Council on 1 July 2025 in Patna , all elected unopposed.
Nine of the ten new MLCs belong to the ruling NDA — four from JD(U) , four from BJP , and one from LJP (Ram Vilas) .
The lone opposition member is Sunil Kumar Singh of the RJD .
Actor Pawan Singh (BJP) called for a Film City in Bihar to create employment for local artists.
Health Minister Nishant Kumar pledged to advance the Saat Nishchay programme associated with his father, CM Nitish Kumar .
CM Samrat Choudhary , Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Chaudhary , and Tejashwi Yadav attended the ceremony.
Ten members elected unopposed to the Bihar Legislative Council were formally sworn in on Wednesday, 1 July, during a ceremony held in the main hall of the Legislative Council Annexe in Patna. Awadhesh Narayan Singh, Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, administered the oath of office and secrecy to all ten newly elected members, marking the start of their tenure in the Upper House of the Bihar Legislature.
Who Was Sworn In
Nine of the ten new members belong to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). From the Janata Dal (United), Nishant Kumar, Bharti Mehta, Shivrani Devi Prajapati, and Lalan Prasad took the oath. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was represented by actor Pawan Singh, Sanjay Prakash Mayukh, Anil Thakur, and Sheila Pandit. Ashraf Ansari of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) also took the oath as part of the NDA bloc. The sole opposition representative was Sunil Kumar Singh of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), part of the Mahagathbandhan.
Senior Leaders in Attendance
The ceremony drew prominent political figures from across the spectrum. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav were among those present. Leaders across party lines congratulated the new members and expressed hope for a productive tenure.
What the New Members Said
Actor-turned-politician Pawan Singh used the occasion to advocate for a Film City in Bihar, saying such a facility would generate employment for local artists and eliminate the need for aspiring performers to relocate to other states in search of opportunities.
Health Minister Nishant Kumar, who now also holds a seat in the Legislative Council, expressed gratitude to the JD(U) leadership for the dual responsibility. He pledged to carry forward the development agenda associated with his father, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, including the flagship Saat Nishchay (Seven Resolves) programme. He described joining the same House in which his father had served as a personal matter of pride.
RJD leader Sunil Kumar Singh said he would raise the concerns of farmers, economically weaker sections, and ordinary citizens in the Council. He credited RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav's political legacy with shaping a generation of Bihar leaders, saying the state's political landscape could not be imagined without him.
First-time MLC Ashraf Ansari of LJP (Ram Vilas) called his election a historic moment for grassroots party workers. He thanked the party's leadership — including the late Ram Vilas Paswan, Reena Paswan, Chirag Paswan, and Arun Bharti — for placing their trust in him.
Significance and What Comes Next
The unopposed elections reinforce the NDA's firm grip on the Bihar Upper House ahead of what is expected to be a politically active legislative session. With 9 of 10 new members drawn from NDA-affiliated parties, the alliance's legislative majority is further consolidated. All ten members have now formally begun their six-year terms, and their first test will come when the Council reconvenes for its next session.
Point of View
But it also raises questions about whether JD(U) is building a bench or a family tree. Pawan Singh's Film City pitch, meanwhile, is less a policy proposal than a signal that celebrity politics in Bihar is alive and legislatively active. The RJD's single seat in this batch underscores how far the once-dominant party has slipped from its Upper House stronghold.
NationPress
1 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the ten members sworn into the Bihar Legislative Council on 1 July 2025?
The ten new MLCs are Nishant Kumar, Bharti Mehta, Shivrani Devi Prajapati, and Lalan Prasad from JD(U); Pawan Singh, Sanjay Prakash Mayukh, Anil Thakur, and Sheila Pandit from BJP; Ashraf Ansari from LJP (Ram Vilas); and Sunil Kumar Singh from RJD. All ten were elected unopposed before being sworn in at the Legislative Council Annexe in Patna.
Why were nine of the ten new Bihar MLCs from the NDA?
All ten seats were won unopposed, reflecting the NDA's current organisational dominance in Bihar's legislative council constituencies. The alliance fielded candidates from JD(U), BJP, and LJP (Ram Vilas), collectively accounting for nine of the ten new members, with only one seat going to the opposition RJD.
What did actor Pawan Singh say after taking oath as Bihar MLC?
Pawan Singh said he hoped a Film City would be established in Bihar to create employment for local artists and performers. He argued that such a facility would allow aspiring actors to build careers within the state rather than relocating elsewhere.
What is the Saat Nishchay programme that Nishant Kumar pledged to continue?
Saat Nishchay, or Seven Resolves, is a flagship development programme associated with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, covering areas such as electricity, clean water, roads, toilets, and education. Health Minister Nishant Kumar, Nitish Kumar's son, pledged to carry forward this agenda after being sworn in as an MLC.
Who administered the oath to the new Bihar Legislative Council members?
Awadhesh Narayan Singh, the Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, administered the oath of office and secrecy to all ten newly elected members during the ceremony held on 1 July 2025 at the Legislative Council Annexe in Patna.
