Nitish Kumar, the veteran chief minister of Bihar, announced he will step down to join the Indian Parliament.
The 75-year-old shared the decision on X, stating that the new state government “will have his full cooperation and guidance.” His resignation allows a successor to take charge, either from his Janata Dal (United) or his coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Kumar has led Bihar for most of the past two decades and remains one of its most influential political figures. Party insiders said the move has been expected due to his declining health.
Kumar thanked voters for their “trust and support,” which he said enabled his government to serve the state “with complete dedication.” A party colleague noted Kumar may wait to resign until April when the term of outgoing Rajya Sabha members ends.
In November, Kumar took oath as Bihar CM for a record 10th term after the JDU and its allies, including the BJP, won 202 of 243 assembly seats. Five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar will now fall vacant. A senior BJP leader told the BBC that JDU and allies have enough votes to secure four of the five seats.
Analysts suggest Kumar’s move may give Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP an opportunity to claim the top state post. If successful, it would be BJP’s first chief minister in Bihar.
Bihar has over 74 million voters and remains one of India’s poorest states, with many residents migrating elsewhere for work. BJP has never governed the state alone.
Currently, no official announcement has been made about the new chief minister. “The new chief minister of Bihar will be from the BJP and the party’s parliamentary board will soon decide the candidate,” said RP Singh.
Some JDU leaders expressed concern over Kumar’s decision. “We went door-to-door seeking votes for Nitish Kumar. If he is no longer the chief minister, where will the people of Bihar go?” asked party colleague Rajeev Ranjan Patel.
