Nand Kishore Yadav Photo Credit: Ranjeet Kumar
Nand Kishore Yadav was appointed as the Governor of Nagaland by the President of India Droupadi Murmu on Thursday 5 March 2026.
Mr. Yadav’s appointment follows his tenure as Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Early life
Mr. Yadav was born on 26 August 1953 in the Khajekalan area of Old Patna in Bihar to Panna Lal Yadav, who owned a business in the city, and Raj Kumari Yadav.
His great grandfather Jhalo Sardar was a well-known landlord in the area.
Mr. Yadav completed his matriculation in 1969 from State Marwari High School, Patna. He later went on to study Bachelor of Science in College of Commerce, Magadh University.
During his final year of graduation in 1974, Mr. Yadav left his studies and joined the JP Movement of ‘total revolution’ led by Jayaprakash Narayan.
Political career
Mr. Yadav joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1969 and became active in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1971.
He started in local politics as a councilor in the Patna Municipal Corporation in 1978 and became the Deputy Mayor of Patna in 1982.
Mr. Yadav served as Bihar BJP president from 1998 to 2003.
He is a seven-time Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), representing Patna East (later renamed Patna Sahib) since 1995.
Key ministerial and constitutional functions
Mr. Yadav has held several key posts in the Bihar government, including several terms as Road Construction Minister, Health and Welfare Minister and Tourism Minister under several Nitish Kumar governments
He served as Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly from 2013 to 2015.
In February 2024, he was elected as the 17th Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, a role he served until he was appointed as the Governor of Nagaland.
Published – March 6, 2026 11:56 AM IST
