Bihar CM Nitish Kumar files nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls along with Amit Shah.
Veteran JDU leader Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that he will contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, signalling the end of his long tenure as the Chief Minister of Bihar and bringing the curtains down on his record run as the state’s longest-serving CM.
He is expected to return as a Union Minister after more than two decades. He was part of the Union Cabinet multiple times between 1990 and 2004, holding several key portfolios including as Railway Minister under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 2001 to 2004.
The Janata Dal (United) chief, who has served as chief minister for a record 10 terms since 2005, said the new government that will be formed in the state will have his “full cooperation and guidance”.
In a post on X, Kumar expressed gratitude to the people of Bihar for their continued support over the past two decades.
“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,” he said.
Kumar added that since the beginning of his parliamentary career, he had aspired to serve as a member of both Houses of the state 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,” he said.
Assuring the people of Bihar that he will remain committed to the state’s development, Kumar said his association with them would continue even after the transition. “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 added.
Kumar’s decision comes months after he led the ruling National Democratic Alliance to a landslide victory in the assembly elections held in November last year. With his exit from the chief minister’s post, a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to take over the top office.
If that happens, Bihar could get its first BJP chief minister, making it the only Hindi heartland state where the party has not held the chief minister’s post so far.
Five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are scheduled to go to the polls on March 16, with the filing of nomination papers closing on Thursday. Given the current strength of the NDA in the 243-member assembly, Kumar’s election to the Upper House is almost certain.
The NDA currently holds 202 seats in the assembly, including 89 held by the BJP and 85 by the JD(U). A candidate needs the first preference votes of 41 MLAs to secure a Rajya Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, a large number of JD(U) workers gathered outside the chief minister’s residence in Patna since morning, protesting Kumar’s decision to step down.
State Sunni Waqf Board chairman Alhaj Mohammad Irshadullah, a JD(U) leader, said party workers were unhappy with the move. “Party workers are not happy with Nitish Kumar’s decision to leave Bihar politics and go to Rajya Sabha. When I came to know about it, it was a shocker for me. He should have remained the CM,” he said.
Reacting to the development, Manoj Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal claimed that Kumar’s announcement appeared to have been influenced from outside the party.
The development also comes amid indications that Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, may soon enter active politics. State Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar had earlier said that a formal announcement regarding Nishant’s political entry would be made soon following demands from party leaders and youth in the state.
Speculation is also rife that Nishant Kumar, an engineering graduate in his 40s, could be inducted into the new government as deputy chief minister.
Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who is among the contenders for the chief minister’s post, congratulated Kumar on his decision.
“Your visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to good governance, and continuous efforts for the all-round development of Bihar are an inspiration to all of us. I am confident that with your experience and leadership, the dignity of the Rajya Sabha will be further strengthened,” he said in a post on X.
The Rajya Sabha elections are being held as the terms of JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, and Upendra Kushwaha are coming to an end.
The BJP has named its newly appointed state president Nitin Nabin and party general secretary Shivesh Kumar as its candidates from the state.
Published on March 5, 2026