“Had a desire in my heart…”: Nitish Kumar to Step Down as Bihar CM, Set to Seek Rajya Sabha Seat

Senior politician Nitish Kumar has announced that he will step down from the post of Bihar Chief Minister and seek election to the Rajya Sabha, bringing an end to more than two decades of his leadership of the state government.

In a post on X, Kumar said the move would fulfil a long-standing personal ambition to serve in all four legislative chambers of India’s parliamentary and state systems. Over the course of his political career, he has already served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, a Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly (MLA), and a Member of the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC). “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,” Kumar wrote in his message.

He explained that a Rajya Sabha term would complete a long-held goal that he had nurtured since the beginning of his parliamentary career. “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 said.

Kumar also sought to reassure the people of Bihar that his engagement with the state would continue even after stepping down as Chief Minister. “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,” he added.

If elected, Kumar would join a select group of politicians who have served in all four legislative bodies, the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Assembly and Legislative Council. Among Bihar’s prominent leaders, Lalu Prasad Yadav and the late Sushil Kumar Modi have previously achieved this distinction.

Kumar’s political journey dates back to the anti-Emergency movement of the 1970s, when he entered politics alongside several figures who would go on to shape Bihar’s political landscape, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, the late Ram Vilas Paswan, Sharad Yadav and Sushil Kumar Modi. With the exception of Kumar, each of these leaders had at some point served in the Rajya Sabha.

His decision has triggered intense speculation about who will succeed him as Bihar’s next Chief Minister, particularly from among leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the JD(U)’s alliance partner in the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who currently holds the influential Home portfolio and previously served as the Bihar BJP president, is widely seen as one of the frontrunners. Another name being discussed is Nityanand Rai, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs. Rai is a three-term Member of Parliament and a former MLA, and has also served as the Bihar BJP chief. Senior Bihar minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, a three-time member of the Legislative Council and former state BJP president, is also among those being considered. The name of Sanjiv Chaurasiya, the BJP MLA from Digha, has also surfaced in political discussions.​