'I Seek To Become Rajya Sabha Member': Nitish Kumar Confirms Shift, Claims Full Support To New Bihar Govt

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 11:07 IST

According to reports, Nitish Kumar may file his nomination papers at the state assembly around 11 am today.

Nitish Kumar is set to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, nearly four months after being sworn in for a record 10th term as Bihar Chief Minister. With this, an intense political activity is set to occur in the political ground of Patna as the buzz of Nitish Kumar’s successor intensifies.

Kumar may file his nomination papers at the state assembly around 11 am today, news agency PTI reported, citing its sources.

BJP president Nitin Nabin will also file his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also expected to be present at the time of filing of the nomination papers.

As Nitish Kumar is set to move to the Rajya Sabha, the JDU held a series of late-night meetings, with senior leaders arriving at the residence of party leader Sanjay Jha well past midnight.

Confirming Kumar’s candidature for Rajya Sabha, state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Wednesday said that the Bihar Chief Minister was considering entering the Rajya Sabha, which would bring to an end his tenure as the longest-serving chief minister of the state.

As per the speculations doing rounds in the political circle, Kumar is likely to step down after leading the ruling NDA to a landslide victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections and a BJP leader is expected to take over the top post.

If the BJP takes over the top post following Kumar’s resignation, Bihar will get its first BJP Chief Minister. Notably, Bihar is the only Hindi heartland state in the country where the party has not held office so far.

However, an official announcement regarding Kumar’s entry into the Upper House of Parliament is still awaited.

While Nitish Kumar is set move to Rajya Sabha, his son Nishant Kumar, who has long stayed away from the limelight, is expected to likely make his political debut and might take the oath as the Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister.

5 Rajya Sabha Seats From Bihar

A total of five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar will go to the polls on March 16. The elections will be held as the tenures of JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, and RLM’s Upendra Kushwaha come to an end.

Bihar Assembly Polls

In a sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly polls held last year, the NDA secured 202 out of the 243 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 89 seats.

The JD(U), on the other hand, won 85 — a jump of 42 seats from the previous elections, following which Nitish Kumar was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of the state. 

News politics 'I Seek To Become Rajya Sabha Member': Nitish Kumar Confirms Shift, Claims Full Support To New Bihar Govt

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