It is now official! Nitish Kumar, the incumbent Chief Minister of Bihar, has confirmed that he will be heading to the Rajya Sabha after over two decades of leading the state government. The 75-year-old further said that the new Cabinet would have his “full cooperation and guidance”.
“For more than two decades, you have consistently placed your trust and support in me, and it is on the strength of that trust that we have served Bihar and all of you with complete dedication. It was the power of your trust and support that has enabled Bihar today to present a new dimension of development and dignity. For this, I have expressed my gratitude to you many times in the past as well,” Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister, said in a post on X.
In the post, Kumar also spelt out his long-harboured wish to become a member of both Houses of Parliament and both Houses of the state legislature. He has already been a Lok Sabha MP, an MLA, and an MLC, and a Rajya Sabha stint would complete the quartet.
“From the very beginning of my parliamentary journey, there has been a desire in my heart to become a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature as well as both Houses of Parliament. In keeping with this aspiration, I seek to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the elections being held this time. I want to assure you with complete honesty that my relationship with you will continue in the future as well, and my resolve to work together with you to build a developed Bihar will remain steadfast. The new government that will be formed will have my full cooperation and guidance,” he said.
‘Possible his account has been hijacked’
Nitish Kumar’s decision to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha election, has taken Janata Dal (United) workers and supporters by surprise. According to news agency ANI, JD (U) workers and supporters protested outside the Chief Minister’s residence in Patna.
Refusing to believe that Nitish Kumar has decided to give up the Chief Minister post, some pointed out at the likelihood of his account being hijacked.
Another worker said that they will organise a protest if CM Nitish Kumar doesn’t change his decision.
“Nitish Kumar cannot insult the public’s mandate. There is a huge pressure on him as part of a major conspiracy,” another supporter said.
Another supporter seemed distraught at Nitish Kumar’s decision and urged him to remain CM.
Nitish Kumar’s exit may grant BJP more leverage within Bihar government
Kumar’s re-entry into national politics may grant the BJP more leverage within the Bihar government. For two decades, the BJP has been the “junior” partner in Bihar despite having more MLAs than the JD(U). With Nitish moving to Delhi, the path is clear for the BJP to appoint its first-ever Chief Minister in Bihar.
By managing a peaceful transition, the BJP may inherit these loyal voter bases without the “anti-incumbency” fatigue associated with Nitish’s long tenure.
Reports suggest the BJP may appoint a CM from the Backward Classes to ensure these voters don’t drift toward the RJD.
The inclusion of Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, into active politics (potentially as a Deputy CM) is expected to keep the JD(U) base stable and tied to the NDA.
‘Huge political abduction’: How RJD, Congress reacted
RJD and Congress – the two parties with which Nitish Kumar had run government in the past after breaking away from the NDA alliance – launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that the “hijack” allegation proved to be true.
“The conspiracies and tactics used in the Bihar elections were a victory of ‘dhantantra’ and ‘manchine tantra’. All NDA parties know how they won the Bihar elections. Now, Nitish Kumar has also posted (on social media) that he wants to go to the Rajya Sabha. We have been saying it since the beginning that the BJP will not let Nitish Kumar remain in the CM chair post elections. This is a refined Maharashtra model,” Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, said.
Terming it a “huge political abduction”, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Mrityunjay Tiwari said that the announcement exposed the “attitude” of the BJP towards their allies.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh alleged that Nitish Kumar has “betrayed” the mandate of the people.
In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said, “What the Indian National Congress had been saying often during the Bihar election campaign has now come to pass. A leadership coup and regime change orchestrated by G2 has taken place. It is, in many ways, a huge betrayal of the mandate of the people.”
Nitish Kumar’s political journey
Kumar has had a chequered political career. He became an MLA as a member of the Janata Dal. Kumar and George Fernandes then formed the Samata Party in 1994. In 1996, he was elected to the Lok Sabha, and served as a Union Minister in the Vajpayee government.
In 2005, Kumar became chief minister, heading a coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The governing coalition won re-election in a landslide in the 2010 state elections.
Three years later (June 2013), Kumar broke with the BJP and formed a coalition with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. In 2014, he was replaced by Jitan Ram Manjhi, but returned to the position in 2015, leading the Mahagathbandhan to victory later that year.
In 2017, Kumar returned to the NDA, leading another coalition with the BJP; at the 2020 state elections. In August 2022, Kumar rejoined the Mahagathbandhan. In January 2024, Kumar left the Congress-RJD alliance once again and rejoined the NDA. In 2025, he won his fifth election in a landslide and was sworn in as CM for the tenth time.