Key Points
Speculation in Bihar suggests Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may resign and move to the Rajya Sabha ahead of upcoming elections to five Upper House seats from the state.
Reports indicate the BJP could lead the state government, with several BJP leaders being discussed as potential Chief Minister candidates.
JD(U) sources say Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar may enter active politics and could become Deputy Chief Minister if the leadership change materialises.
Speculation emerged on 4 March 2026 that Nitish Kumar may step down as Chief Minister of Bihar and move to the Rajya Sabha ahead of upcoming elections to the Upper House beginning in March 2026.
Political circles in Patna were abuzz with discussions that Kumar, the leader of the Janata Dal (United), could make way for a BJP CM. His son Nishant Kumar is also expected to enter active politics and may be appointed Deputy Chief Minister if the change occurs.
The developments coincided with heightened political activity in the state capital on the day of Holi. Senior JD(U) leaders were seen attending meetings at the CM’s official residence.
Among those present were the party’s working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and Union Minister and Munger MP Rajeev Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh. Earlier in the day, senior JD(U) leaders and Bihar cabinet ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Ashok Choudhary were also reported to have held discussions with Kumar.
Although the party has not officially confirmed the speculation, the timing is significant because nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections can be filed until 5 March 2026. Elections to five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are scheduled for 16 March 2026.
Of the state’s 16 Rajya Sabha seats, five are set to become vacant on 9 April 2026. The terms of two JD(U) members – Harivansh Narayan Singh, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and Ram Nath Thakur, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare – are ending. The tenures of Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha and two Opposition members, Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), are also concluding.
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, a candidate requires the support of 41 legislators to secure a Rajya Sabha seat. The political arithmetic around these vacancies has intensified negotiations within both the ruling alliance and the opposition.
The possibility of Kumar moving to the Rajya Sabha has revived earlier political predictions that the BJP might eventually take direct leadership of the state government.
During the campaign for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had suggested that the BJP-led NDA might not allow Kumar to remain Chief Minister despite the alliance arrangement.
Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Chief Minister for the tenth time in November 2025 following the NDA victory. Barring a brief nine-month period when Jitan Ram Manjhi held the office, Kumar has served as Bihar’s Chief Minister since November 2005.
The 75-year-old leader is widely regarded as the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister and has governed Bihar through multiple political alliances over two decades.
However, the BJP’s emergence as the largest party in the state has strengthened its position within the ruling alliance. Political observers say the party may now seek a more direct leadership role in the state government.
Several BJP leaders are being discussed as potential successors if Kumar steps down. Among the names mentioned are Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Patna Digha MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia has also been mentioned in political discussions.
At the same time, JD(U) leaders have indicated that Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar may soon make his formal entry into active politics. Posters supporting his political role have reportedly appeared at the party’s headquarters in Patna. State minister Shrawan Kumar recently confirmed that Nishant Kumar would soon join “active politics.”
Further clarity is expected in the coming days as nominations are filed and alliance leaders finalise their strategy for the Upper House polls.
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