Nitish Kumar eyes Rajya Sabha seat: Who will be the next Bihar chief minister?

Daily Update

With Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha nomination, the chief minister’s seat will be vacated, and two names have emerged as the key contenders for the top post.

Months after a massive win for Nitish Kumar and the NDA coalition in the assembly elections, Bihar is now headed for another political twist. The 10-time chief minister of Bihar will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

With his nomination, the chief minister’s seat will be vacated, and two names have emerged as the key contenders for the top post.

People familiar with the matter have told HT that Samrat Choudhary and Nityananda Rai are the likely contenders for the chief minister’s seat. An official confirmation regarding who will become the next Bihar CM is expected soon.

Who will be next Bihar CM? Key names emerge

Samrat Chaudhary, who is also one of the deputy chief ministers in the state, is expected to be elevated to the top rank after Kumar’s Rajya Sabha nomination.

Choudhary has been an integral part of Bihar politics. From his tenure as a Panchayati Raj Minister to his current holding of the home affairs portfolio for the state, the BJP leader has held key positions and is currently in his second stint as deputy chief minister.

Nityanand Roy is also likely to be in the running. Rai is presently serving as the Minister of State for Home Affairs. Before his stint with the Centre, Rai served as the BJP president for Bihar and is a four-time MLA from Hajipur.

In 2015, Rai won a parliamentary ticket and served as a MP from Ujiarpur.

Nitish Kumar’s son in the fray?

While Choudhary and Rai have been positioned as the key contenders, reports have claimed that Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar will be inducted into the Bihar cabinet on Thursday.

As per reports, Nishant is set to join the Janata Dal(United) today and will reportedly be inducted as a deputy CM.

“He will be given a bigger responsibility in the party. What responsibility he is going to get will be decided in a day or two,” an earlier HT report cited minister Sharwan Kumar as saying. Asked if Nishant can be sent to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar said, “Anything can happen.”

Bihar minister Dilip Jaiswal, and Digha BJP MLA Sanjiv Chaurasia are also reported to be in the running for the top post, said an Indian Express report.

NEW DELHI:

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced his decision to step down from the state’s top job and head to the Rajya Sabha.
In a social media post on X, Nitish said he had long harbored a desire to become a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislative Assembly as well as both Houses of Parliament.

Putting all speculation to rest, JDU president Nitish Kumar has confirmed that he would be resignation as Chief Minister and moving to the Rajya Sabha after over two decades of leading the state government. Kumar has said in a post on He has already been a Lok Sabha MP, an MLA, and an MLC, and a Rajya Sabha stint would complete the quartet.

“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,” wrote Kumar. “I assure you that my relationship with you will continue, and I will keep working for a developed Bihar. The new government will enjoy my full support and guidance.”

Earlier, NDTV reported that Kumar’s aides say his desire to become a member of all four Houses is rooted in peer dynamics of Bihar politics. Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad, and the late Sushil Modi, three pillars of Bihar’s political landscape for decades, began their journey together during the anti-Emergency agitation. So did late Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav. Barring Nitish Kumar, each of these leaders had a stint in the Rajya Sabha.

Kumar has been a member of the Assembly, the Legislative Council, and the Lok Sabha, but not the Rajya Assembly. This transition will help him achieve the rare record held by Lalu Yadav and Sushil Modi: membership in all four houses of the Indian parliamentary and state legislative system.

Bihar’s political circles are buzzing with speculation over which BJP leader would replace Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister. The favourites are Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Union Minister Nityanand Rai and Bihar minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal.

Choudhary, who also handles the key home portfolio, is amongst the most influential BJP leaders in Bihar and the Number 2 in the government. He has been a former state party chief. Nityanand Rai is the junior Home Minister in the central government. Also a former Bihar BJP chief, he is a three-time MP and a former MLA. Jaiswal is a three-time member of the legislative council and has also served as the Bihar BJP chief. Another name doing the rounds is Digha MLA Sanjiv Chaurasiya. The BJP, however, is known to spring surprises and it is highly likely that it will come up with a name not doing the rounds.