Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to file his nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday, according to leaders of the Janata Dal (United). Sources said Kumar may submit his papers at the state assembly around 11 in the morning, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah likely to be present for the occasion.
BJP’s Bihar unit president Nitin Nabin is also expected to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls on the same day. Before heading to the assembly, Nabin is scheduled to visit the revered Mahavir Temple in Patna to offer prayers.
Nitish Ends Speculation With Post on X
Kumar himself put all speculation to rest by confirming his Rajya Sabha plans in a post on X. He said that since the beginning of his parliamentary career, he had carried a long-held wish to become a member of both Houses of the state legislature as well as both Houses of Parliament.
“For the past two decades, you have trusted and supported me, and I have served you with full dedication. It is your trust and support due to which Bihar is setting new standards in development,” he wrote. “Since the beginning of my parliamentary career, I had a desire in my heart to become a member of both Houses of state legislature, as well as both Houses of Parliament. That’s why I want to become a Rajya Sabha MP in the upcoming election,” he added, assuring people that his relationship with Bihar would continue and that he would keep working for the state’s development.
The Four-House Dream
Kumar has already served as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, the Bihar Legislative Council and the Lok Sabha. A Rajya Sabha seat would complete what he himself has described as a rare quartet, making him a member of all four Houses of the Indian parliamentary and state legislative system.
This record is currently held by his longtime political contemporaries. Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and the late Sushil Modi all began their political journeys together during the anti-Emergency agitation of the 1970s, as did the late Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav. Barring Kumar, each of these leaders had a stint in the Rajya Sabha at some point in their careers.
State minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary had earlier confirmed that Kumar was seriously considering the Rajya Sabha move, which would mark the end of his extraordinarily long tenure as Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister.
Who Will Succeed Nitish as Chief Minister?
With Kumar’s departure from the top post now looking certain, Bihar’s political circles are buzzing with speculation over who will take his place. Political observers believe that with the ruling National Democratic Alliance having won a massive victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, a BJP leader is likely to take over the chief ministership, potentially giving Bihar its first ever Chief Minister from the BJP.
Among the names being discussed are Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who also holds the home portfolio and is considered the number two in the current government, Union Minister Nityanand Rai, a three-term MP and former Bihar BJP chief, and state minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, a three-time legislative council member who has also served as the Bihar BJP president. Digha MLA Sanjiv Chaurasiya is another name in circulation. The BJP, however, is known for surprising political choices, and the final name may well be one not currently being discussed.
Five Rajya Sabha Seats Up for Grabs on March 16
Elections for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are scheduled for March 16, as the terms of sitting members Harivansh Narayan Singh, Ram Nath Thakur, Prem Chand Gupta, Amarendra Dhari Singh and Upendra Kushwaha come to an end. Given the current composition of the state legislature, all five seats are widely expected to go to the ruling NDA alliance. An official announcement regarding Kumar’s formal entry into the Upper House is yet to be made.
