Nitish may enter Rajya Sabha, make way for new BJP Chief Minister in Bihar

On a day Bihar celebrated Holi, Patna on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) witnessed hectic political exercise over stories that Janata Dal(U) chief Nitish Kumar would resign as Chief Minister and go to the Rajya Sabha.

Prime BJP sources advised The Hindu that Bihar would quickly have a brand new Chief Minister.

“At a gathering of their celebration with JD(U) leaders held after the outcomes of Meeting election in Bihar, a suggestion was made {that a} succession plan for the federal government be made inside a 12 months of the outcomes. It was conveyed {that a} succession plan for the federal government wanted to be in place factoring in the way forward for the JD(U),” a supply mentioned.

If Mr. Kumar relinquishes his put up, the subsequent Chief Minister can be from the BJP. Occasion sources mentioned “he/she will probably be from the Backward Class”.

JD(U) chief Zama Khan mentioned that Mr. Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar would be part of the celebration on Thursday (November 4, 2026). “Sure, Nishant Kumar goes to affix the celebration on Thursday at 11 a.m. and it’ll strengthen each our celebration and its organisation,” the State’s Minister of Minority Welfare advised presspersons.

Sources mentioned that Union Residence Minister Amit Shah will go to Patna on Thursday (March 5, 2026) to be current on the event of a doable “regime change” in the State on a day when NDA’s Rajya Sabha candidates, together with BJP president Nitin Nabin, will file their nominations.

Earlier, popping out of a gathering on the Chief Minister’s official residence, JD(U) MLC and long-time shut aide to Mr. Kumar, Sanjay Gandhi, mentioned, “We’ll help no matter resolution Nitish Kumar will take. We’ll help him even when he goes to the Rajya Sabha.”

Occasion sources mentioned Mr. Kumar might file his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday morning.

“If Mr. Kumar relinquishes his put up, it is going to be a regime change in the State after 20 years. He had turn into Chief Minister for solely seven days in March 2000 however since November 2005 he has been the Chief Minister for ten phrases, barring 9 months from February 2015 to November 2015 when Jitan Ram Manjhi was in the saddle,” mentioned political commentator Nawal Kishore Choudhary.

BJP sources mentioned that the chief ministerial candidate from their celebration would both be from the Backward Class (27% of the inhabitants) or Extraordinarily Backward Class (36%).

“The celebration can’t afford to have its CM from higher caste class which is 15.5% in quantity in response to the most recent caste survey in Bihar,” mentioned Mr. Choudhary.

Prime JD(U) leaders, together with celebration’s working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Vijay Choudhary and Union Minister and celebration’s Munger MP Rajeev Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), held conferences at their official residences and on the Chief Minister’s residence.

Within the final Meeting elections, the ruling NDA gained 202 seats with the JD(U) getting 85 and the BJP bagging 89 seats. The Lok Janshakti Occasion (Ram Vilas) gained 19 seats and smaller events equivalent to Rashtriya Lok Morcha, led by Upendra Kushwaha, bagged 4 and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) gained 5 seats. Within the 243-member State Meeting, a candidate wants the help of 41 MLAs to safe a Rajya Sabha seat.

Of the entire 16 Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar, 5 seats are falling vacant on April 9. The phrases of two JD(U) MPs Harivansh Narayan Singh, additionally Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and Ram Nath Thakur, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, are ending. NDA ally and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Mr. Kushwaha’s tenure is ending together with these of two members from the Opposition bloc – Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh.

The NDA wants the help of three extra MLAs and the RJD that of six legislators to bag the fifth seat for which Mr. Kushwaha’s identify is alleged to have been finalised by the NDA. Sources from the RJD camp mentioned the celebration will discipline Amarendra Dhari Singh because the fifth candidate.

(With inputs from Nistula Hebbar)