Nitish Kumar Likely Rajya Sabha Nominee As BJP Eyes First Bihar Chief Minister
· Free Press Journal
Patna: Bihar chief minister and JD (U) president Nitish Kumar who ruled the state for more than 20 years may be nominated to Rajya Sabha with BJP finally installing its own CM in the state and giving the post of deputy chief minister to Nitish`s son, Nishant Kumar.
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Bihar is the only state in Hindi heartland where BJP has never had its own chief minister. The last date for filing nomination papers for the upper house is March 5, as JD (U)’s top leaders are holding closed-door meetings to take a final call on the issue. JD (U) working president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha also discussed the matter with Nitish for nearly three hours and is reportedly persuading him to move to the Rajya Sabha. At the same time, senior JD (U) leader and union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh is expected to reach Patna from Delhi Thursday morning. As Nitish is apparently at the twilight of his political career due to his health conditions, it is widely believed that he may like to become a member of the house and assume the portfolio of a major union ministry later.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | Janata Dal (United) MLC Sanjay Gandhi says, "...We will support whatever decision Nitish Kumar will take...We will support Bihar CM Nitish Kumar even if he goes to the Rajya Sabha..." pic.twitter.com/EplkgSi01C
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2026
There are also intense speculations that nomination papers for Nitish’s Rajya Sabha bid have been prepared and are nearly ready, with only his signature pending. Even before the 2025 state assembly elections, it was expected that he would ultimately vacate the CM chair in exchange for some position that suited his stature.
BJP Nominates Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Vinod Tawde For Rajya Sabha From Maharashtra#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | On speculations around Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to resign as Bihar CM and file nomination for Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Giriraj Singh says, "...Such jokes are common on Holi. Nitish Kumar ji is our Chief Minister." pic.twitter.com/SeQP2bmU7M
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2026
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Nitish, 75, has taken oath as chief Minister for a record 10 times after the NDA swept the assembly polls by winning 202 out of 243 seats. He held the post of CM since 2015, except for the brief period when the then JD (U) leader and minister Jitan Ram Manjhi was the chief minister.
In the event of Nitish vacating the post of chief minister, it is anticipated that deputy chief minister and BJP Samrat Choudhary may fill the slot. It is believed that the next chief minister will be of Nitish`s choice as the BJP would not like to send any wrong message or create any public perception that it has any role in persuading him (Nitish) to Rajya Sabha at a time when the assembly elections will be held in Uttar Pradesh in 2027. Nitish belongs to the Kurmi caste that has a substantial population in eastern UP.