Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha today, may not be easy to replace, sources say, complicating the Bharatiya Janata Party’s plans to install its own leader in Patna. Unlike recent changes of chief ministers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — states where the BJP governed alone — Bihar’s coalition dynamics make any transition delicate, party and alliance sources indicated.
Keeping the Janata Dal (United) and Nitish Kumar content is essential, sources added, because the decision is as much about assembly arithmetic as it is about the chief minister’s local support base. In last year’s Bihar assembly election the JD(U) won 85 seats and the BJP 89, underscoring that the BJP must factor JD(U) preferences into any leadership move.
Party strategists point to Kumar’s electoral strength among the most backward castes and women, bolstered by flagship policies such as the cycle scheme for schoolgirls and the later prohibition on alcohol. The BJP is said to want a successor acceptable to these groups to avoid alienating voters who backed the NDA on Kumar’s leadership.
There is visible disquiet within JD(U) ranks. Grassroots workers, JD(U) sources said, have struggled to accept that Nitish Kumar — who has been in power since 2005 — may step down as chief minister and be moved to the upper house. Many rank-and-file members feel short-changed by a shift they see as the coalition capitalising on Kumar’s popularity to seize the top state post.
The perception among some in the JD(U) is that the NDA sought votes in Nitish Kumar’s name and is now transferring him to the Rajya Sabha while appropriating state leadership for itself, sources said. Aware of these sensitivities, the BJP is reportedly in no rush: its strategy, according to party sources, is to slow the process and resolve matters cautiously.
Reports from Patna indicate Nitish Kumar will not be removed immediately; the BJP may take a month or two to finalise the transition. There is speculation the party could wait until the Bihar legislative council election, in which Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar is a candidate. Nishant would be eligible to become deputy chief minister only after winning that seat — an outcome Nitish is said to want to see before moving to the Rajya Sabha.
The JD(U) itself, which surrendered the “big brother” role in the alliance after a poor 2020 showing and then recovered, remains a key factor in any leadership decision, sources emphasised.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rajya-sabha-election-2026-bihar-a-happy-nitish-kumar-is-key-to-bjps-bihar-equation-11174671#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-06 09:13:00
