Nitish Kumar Files Rajya Sabha Nomination; Bihar CM Post Set to Vacate
JDU Chief Thanks Bihar Voters for Two Decades of Trust as Party Workers Protest Outside Patna Residence
Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Wednesday formally filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections at the Bihar Legislative Assembly — bringing to a close decades of state-level executive leadership and setting the stage for a new chapter in Bihar's political landscape. The nomination was filed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president Nitin Nabin, signalling the NDA's unified endorsement of the move.
In a social media post ahead of filing his papers, Nitish Kumar framed the decision as the fulfilment of a long-held personal aspiration — to have been a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature as well as both Houses of Parliament. He expressed deep gratitude to the people of Bihar for placing their trust in him as Chief Minister for over two decades, and offered assurances that his connection with the state would endure. "Bihar today is presenting a new dimension of development and dignity because of the confidence shown by the people," Kumar wrote, adding that he would extend full support and guidance to the new government that follows.
Kumar's Rajya Sabha nomination effectively signals that the Bihar Chief Ministership will soon fall vacant. As the largest NDA partner in the state, the BJP is widely expected to stake its claim to the top post — a development that would mark one of the most significant power shifts in Bihar politics in recent years. BJP has already announced its two Rajya Sabha candidates, including national president Nitin Nabin, while NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha is set for a second consecutive Rajya Sabha term.
Not everyone in the JDU has welcomed the transition. A section of party workers gathered outside the Chief Minister's official residence in Patna to register their opposition, arguing that voters had cast their ballots in the 2025 Assembly elections specifically on the strength of Nitish Kumar's name and persona. The protesters urged Kumar not to leave Bihar politics for Delhi — a sentiment that reflects the grassroots attachment to the leader even as the party's top brass has clearly moved on to succession planning.