Nitish Kumar is set to resign after his final Cabinet meeting on April 14, with the BJP expected to name the NDA’s chief ministerial face in Patna. The transition would mark a first for the party in Bihar, where it has never held the top post before.
Nitish Kumar is expected to step down as Bihar Chief Minister after chairing what is likely to be his final Cabinet meeting at 11 am on April 14, setting off a formal transition in the state’s ruling coalition. He is expected to submit his resignation to the governor soon after the meeting, while preparations for the handover are already under way in Patna, as per a Hindustan Times report.
Also Read | Uncertainty grows in Ladakh as Sonam Wangchuk flags delay in Centre talks
Bihar’s BJP Chief Minister
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to announce its choice for the next chief minister on Tuesday, with Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appointed as Central observer for the selection of the legislature party leader.
BJP legislators are expected to meet in Patna in his presence, after which the party’s decision will be placed before the NDA legislature party. Reports suggest the swearing-in could take place on April 15.
The party secured 89 seats in the 2025 assembly elections, making it the single-largest party in the Vidhan Sabha for the first time, while ally JD(U) won 85. The NDA swept 202 of 243 seats, further diminishing the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan.
However, the leaders remain tight-lipped. A senior BJP leader from Delhi said, "Please don't ask the name of who would be the next CM. All I can say is that the person will be from the BJP.”
Also Read | Will Raghav Chadha launch a new Party? AAP rebel spills some hints
Top contenders
Among the names being discussed are deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, Union minister Nityanand Rai, and former state BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal.
Attention has also turned to Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar, though he is not yet a member of the state legislature. Some JD(U) leaders have reportedly suggested that he could be considered for a future role in the new dispensation, even as the immediate focus remains on the BJP’s chief ministerial choice and the coalition’s next government in Bihar.
