4 min readNew Delhi, PatnaUpdated: Mar 4, 2026 11:01 PM IST
GIVEN Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s failing health, this was on the cards even when he was sworn in as CM last November after a landslide win for the NDA but decks were being cleared for his exit Wednesday.
In a sudden turn of events, leaders from BJP and ally JD(U) said that Nitish is most likely to file his nomination for Rajya Sabha clearing the way for a new CM in the state, either from JD(U) or from BJP.
Sources indicated there would be a BJP Chief Minister.
As the Rajya Sabha term for outgoing MPs ends in April, Nitish may well take time to resign as CM.
But late Wednesday night, senior leaders from the JD(U) and members of Nitish’s family were at the CM’s residence trying to dissuade him from stepping down.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Patna Thursday to attend the nomination process of BJP president Nitin Nabin who has been announced as a Rajya Sabha candidate from Bihar.
While there is no official confirmation either from BJP or from JD(U), sources said Nitish had “signed the papers” for his Rajya Sabha nomination.
In last November’s Assembly election, the NDA won 202 of the 243 seats – the BJP was the largest party with 89 seats while the JD(U) got 85, a jump of 42 seats from the previous election. Nitish was credited with this surge.
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Despite several attempts, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha was not available for comment.
Sources said Nitish’s deteriorating health had “forced” the party leadership to take the decision. “The CM has been facing serious health issues,” said a source, “and there is a general impression that it’s the bureaucracy that’s running Bihar now.”
A BJP leader admitted that Nitish’s exit at this juncture, barely three months after the elections, has “issues with optics,” but added that it’s “beneficial” for both the NDA and the government in the state. “The state government has almost five years and we have three years for the Lok Sabha…we need to have a very responsive government,” he said. “The transition will be a smooth process.”
The Opposition was quick to slam the speculation. When contacted, RJD MP Manoj Jha said: “This night is going to be heavy for JD(U). First, I don’t see it happening. If it happens, it will be like the abduction of the Venezuelan President”.
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Sources in NDA 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 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.
What is surprising in political circles is the timing of Nitish’s exit, if it happens, days before elections to four states are set to be notified. More so, as the longest-serving Bihar CM, he has had a formidable administrative record – the last election campaign saw him riding on his popularity among women voters and his undisputed political stature as the agent of change in Bihar.
Describing the turn of events, an NDA leader said: “There had been initial discussions on sending (Nitish’s son) Nishant Kumar to Rajya Sabha. However, Nishant reportedly showed his keenness towards starting his political innings from Bihar. While these discussions were on, the BJP central leadership reportedly advised Nitish Kumar to go to Rajya Sabha and nominate a successor of his choice. Nitish agreed to it, even though several party leaders did not approve.”
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