Rumours have intensified that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will resign from his position. Sources say he may soon move to the Rajya Sabha. If that happens, he will have to step down as the CM of the state.
On November 20 last year, Nitish Kumar took oath for the tenth time at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Less than four months later, speculation is growing that he may shift to national politics. According to informed sources, the BJP has proposed his name as a Rajya Sabha candidate. He has reportedly been asked to prepare the nomination papers and may file them on Thursday.
Rajya Sabha plan and seat sharing
Bihar has five Rajya Sabha seats going to polls. The NDA is expected to field two candidates each from the BJP and Janata Dal United, and one from Rashtriya Lok Morcha. The BJP has already announced two names. The party plans to send Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar to the Upper House. Upendra Kushwaha's name has been finalised from Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
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Sources indicate that Ramnath Thakur may contest one of JDU's two seats, while Nitish Kumar may contest the other. An official announcement is still awaited. On Tuesday night, JDU working president Sanjay Jha held a three-hour meeting with Nitish, further fuelling speculation. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh is expected to be in Patna on Thursday, and Nitish may file his nomination alongside him.
Who will lead Bihar?
Sources close to Nitish say that if he wins the Rajya Sabha election, he will resign as Chief Minister, as there is "no other option." Political observers believe this could be part of the BJP's strategy to bring him to Delhi.
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Questions are now being raised about succession. There are reports that his son, Nishant Kumar, may enter active politics and could be given a "big responsibility". However, there is no clarity on whether that would mean the Chief Minister's post.
Some political circles suggest that BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary, currently Deputy Chief Minister, could be elevated to the top post. The NDA holds a comfortable majority with 202 seats in the Bihar Assembly. A government change appears unlikely, but leadership dynamics within the alliance remain uncertain.
