3 min readPatnaMar 10, 2026 07:15 AM IST
First published on: Mar 10, 2026 at 07:15 AM IST
As Bihar looks set for a change of guard, the state is also gearing up to witness two yatras – of the same party and family but with largely distinct objectives and political messaging.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is all set to step down after filing his Rajya Sabha nomination on Thursday, will begin the final leg of his Samriddhi Yatra to endorse his rich political legacy, probably for the last time as CM. On the other hand, His son Nishant – who joined the JD(U) on Sunday – will set off on his first one.
“Nitish Kumar’s presence on the ground will reassure people, especially after the NDA’s overwhelming mandate in last year’s polls. Nishant, on the other hand, would get to know party workers. The two yatras are about a great legacy and its bearer,” JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told The Indian Express.
Sources in the CM House said that Nitish’s yatra will traverse through 10 districts – Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Araria, Purnea, Katihar, Kishanganj, Khagaria, Begusarai Shekhpura – between March 10 and 14. The JD(U) chief commenced the yatra on January 16 and travelled through 12 districts in the first two legs.
“As per the standard format of the yatra, the CM will review the implementation of government schemes, inaugurate projects and lay foundation stones for new ones. He will also address public meetings,” a source said.
Emotional Nishant
Nishant – who joined the JD(U) on Sunday – will begin his tour of all 38 districts of the state to reassure party workers and with an aim to keep the JD(U) together. “I will travel to all districts of the state. The programme is being finalised,” Nishant said on Monday after paying tribute to his mother Manju Sinha at Kankerbagh.
Sources said Nishant will begin his yatra from West Champaran to symbolise Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagrah and in the process will follow in the footsteps of Nitish, who began all his yatras from the district.
Nishant also took to Facebook to pen an emotional note. “Parents are the biggest strength and also the biggest source of inspiration… Had my mother been alive today, she would have been very happy to see me taking up the new responsibility,” he said .
He later visited the Patna Sahib Gurudwara and Patan Devi temple in Patna. “This is the beauty of Bihar. The tradition of faith, brotherhood, and mutual respect has been binding us together for centuries,” he said about his visit to the religious sites.
Allies and rivals react
The BJP, which rules Bihar in alliance with the JD(U), said Nishant’s decision to embark on the yatra is “their internal matter”. “As for Nitish, yatras are a part of a tried-and-tested formula to be among the people, especially after the NDA’s huge mandate in the 2025 Assembly polls,” BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said.
The Opposition RJD had a different take with national spokesperson Subodh Kumar saying Nitish planned the yatra to portray that the decision to step down as CM was his and not under pressure from the BJP. “While Nishant would understand politics and governance through his yatra, it would have been better if he accompanied his father on the Samriddhi Yatra,” he added.