Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to submit his nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday, leaders from Janata Dal (United) have said. According to party leaders, Kumar may file his nomination at the state assembly complex around 11 am.
At the same time, Nitin Nabin, the state chief of the BJP, will also submit his nomination for the Upper House polls. Amit Shah is expected to be present during the filing of the papers, a PTI report said.
Nitish Kumar moving to Rajya Sabha? What happens next
On Wednesday, state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said Kumar was considering moving to the Rajya Sabha. If this happens, it would bring an end to his long tenure as Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister.
There is speculation that Kumar could step down after leading the ruling NDA to a big victory in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. In that case, a leader from the BJP may become the next chief minister.
If that happens, Bihar would get its first chief minister from the BJP, making it the only Hindi heartland state where the party has not yet held the top post. However, there has been no official announcement yet about Kumar’s entry into the Rajya Sabha.
Five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar will be contested on March 16. The elections are being held as the terms of Harivansh Narayan Singh, Ram Nath Thakur, Prem Chand Gupta, Amarendra Dhari Singh and Upendra Kushwaha are coming to an end.
Based on the current strength in the state assembly, all five seats are expected to go to the ruling NDA.
Who could be the next Bihar CM?
Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party announced its two candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The list includes the party’s national president Nitin Nabin. At the same time, Upendra Kushwaha, an ally from the National Democratic Alliance, has been chosen for another term in the Upper House.
The Janata Dal (United) has not yet officially declared its candidates. However, there is speculation that party chief Nitish Kumar could pass the chief minister’s post to the BJP in return for a deputy chief minister position for his son.
Reports also suggest that Harivansh Narayan Singh may not be nominated to the Rajya Sabha for a third straight term. Meanwhile, Union minister Ram Nath Thakur, the son of Karpuri Thakur who was awarded the Bharat Ratna, is likely to be re-elected to the Upper House.
JD(U) members protest amid Rajya Sabha speculations
Supporters of the Janata Dal (United) gathered outside the residence of Nitish Kumar on Thursday, raising slogans in favour of his leadership and opposing reports that he may move to the Rajya Sabha.
Among those present was party leader Rajeev Ranjan Patel, along with several supporters. The crowd chanted slogans saying they “want no one else (as CM)” and urged Kumar to remain the chief minister of Bihar.
Speaking to ANI, Patel said, “We only want to see Nitish Kumar as the CM of Bihar. We are against Nitish Kumar going to the Rajya Sabha. We want his son Nishant Kumar to go to the Rajya Sabha.”
However, another JD(U) leader, Sanjay Singh, said that if Kumar has already decided to enter the Rajya Sabha, party members would respect the decision.
“If he has made the decision that he wants to go to Rajya Sabha, then we cannot oppose it, but the public of Bihar wants him to continue to be the CM of Bihar,” Singh said.
There is also talk that Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, may soon step into politics. In the past, the JD(U) chief had been strongly against the idea of his son entering public life. But the possible change in Bihar’s leadership is not seen as sudden. Political observers say it appears to be a carefully thought-out plan by the BJP and the Janata Dal (United).
Why is Nitish Kumar moving to Rajya Sabha?
Kumar is now 75 years old. His leadership has helped the National Democratic Alliance win several elections in Bihar over the years. However, in recent times, videos of the chief minister at public events have circulated widely on social media. The Opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, has used these clips to raise questions about Kumar’s health.
Against this background, NDA leaders are believed to have suggested that Kumar move to the Rajya Sabha. A role in Parliament could reduce the daily pressures of running the state and help the alliance avoid repeated debates over his health.
According to an NDTV report, people close to Kumar have said he has wanted to join the Rajya Sabha for some time. In a conversation with journalists in 2022, he had said that although he did not plan to contest the Lok Sabha elections again, he would not mind serving in the Rajya Sabha. The remark surprised many because he had just started another term as chief minister.
His aides say the desire is also linked to the political journeys of his contemporaries in Bihar. Leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav and the late Sushil Kumar Modi began their careers with Kumar during the anti-Emergency movement. Others from that era, such as Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav, also served in the Rajya Sabha at different points.
While Kumar has been a member of the Bihar Assembly, the Legislative Council, and the Lok Sabha, he has never served in the Rajya Sabha. If he enters the Upper House now, he would join a small group of leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sushil Kumar Modi, who have been part of all four legislative bodies in India’s parliamentary and state system.