Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said he would file nomination papers for the coming Rajya Sabha elections, saying it had long been his wish to serve in all four legislative bodies in the country. This clears the decks for a new Chief Minister, likely from the BJP, to take charge.
In a post on social media, Kumar expressed gratitude to the people of Bihar for their continued support over more than two decades and said he now wished to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing election cycle.
“For more than two decades, you have continuously maintained your trust and support for me, and with that strength we have served Bihar and all of you with complete dedication. It was the power of your trust and support that Bihar today presents a new dimension of development and dignity,” he wrote.
Kumar said from the beginning of his parliamentary career, he had nurtured the aspiration to serve in all legislative forums. “Since the beginning of my parliamentary life, I had a wish that I should become a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature as well as both Houses of Parliament. In that sequence, in the election being held this time, I would like to become a member of the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
Seeking to reassure supporters, Kumar said his relationship with the people of Bihar would continue. “I want to assure you with complete honesty that my relationship with you will continue in the future as well, and the resolve to build a developed Bihar together with you will remain intact. The new government that is formed will receive my full cooperation and guidance,” read the post.
पिछले दो दशक से भी अधिक समय से आपने अपना विश्वास एवं समर्थन मेरे साथ लगातार बनाए रखा है, तथा उसी के बल पर हमने बिहार की और आप सब लोगों की पूरी निष्ठा से सेवा की है। आपके विश्वास और समर्थन की ही ताकत थी कि बिहार आज विकास और सम्मान का नया आयाम प्रस्तुत कर रहा है। इसके लिए पूर्व में…
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) March 5, 2026
Sources in the ruling NDA alliance indicated that Kumar could file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha along with BJP president Nitin Nabin. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also expected to be present on the occasion.
Sources in NDA have told The Indian Express that Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Industry Minister Dilip Jaiswal, and Digha BJP MLA Sanjeev Chourasia are among the probable CM candidates. The JD(U) might well have two Deputy CMs in Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar. Union Minister Nityanand Rai may also throw his hat in the ring for the CM’s position.
Protests outside CM house
Earlier in the day, as reports of Kumar possibly moving to the Upper House surfaced, groups of workers from the ruling Janata Dal (United) gathered outside the CM’s official residence at 1 Aney Marg in Patna and raised slogans opposing the move.
Protesters said they wanted Kumar to continue as the CM. Some JD(U) workers also stopped party leader Krishna Murari Sharan from entering the CM’s residence during the demonstration.
Among those present was JD(U) leader Rajeev Ranjan Patel, who, along with supporters, argued that there was no alternative to Kumar as Bihar CM.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, said the decision would ultimately rest with Kumar. “Nitish Kumar will make this decision. He will go wherever he wants to go. It is his party. No one could have imagined what Nitish Kumar has accomplished in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has built Bihar,” Singh said.
The BJP has already announced two candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls from Bihar, including Nabin, who was seen offering prayers at a Hanuman temple in Patna ahead of filing his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha has also been confirmed for a second term in the Upper House.
Elections to five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are scheduled for March 16. The vacancies arise as the terms of JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha come to an end.
Kumar, who took oath as Chief Minister for a record 10th time on November 20 last year following the NDA’s decisive victory in the 2025 Assembly elections, is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar. The swearing-in ceremony in Patna was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and other senior alliance leaders.
By entering the Rajya Sabha, Kumar will become one of the rare Indian politicians to have served in all four legislative roles: MLA, MLC, and MPs in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.