Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha later this week, triggering fresh political developments in the state. According to sources, Kumar will travel to New Delhi on April 9 and is scheduled to be sworn in as a Rajya Sabha member on April 10. He is expected to return to Patna on April 11.
Significantly, an important meeting of the Bihar unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also scheduled in New Delhi on April 10. During the meeting, the party’s core committee is expected to formally deliberate and build consensus on the name of Bihar’s next Chief Minister.
The meeting will reportedly be chaired by BJP national president Nitin Navin and may be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Senior party leaders, including Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Union Minister Nityanand Rai, MP Sanjay Jaiswal, regional organisational general secretary Nagendra Ji, state organisational general secretary Bhikhubhai Dalsania, and ministers Dilip Jaiswal and Mangal Pandey, are also expected to participate.
Speculation about leadership change
Political circles are also abuzz with speculation that Nishant Kumar, the son of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, may be inducted into the new government.
After returning to Patna following the Rajya Sabha oath ceremony, Nitish Kumar is likely to convene a meeting of the NDA legislative party. During this meeting, he may formally inform alliance legislators about his decision to step down from the post of Chief Minister.
Following this, Kumar is expected to submit his resignation to the Governor, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the state.
Process for formation of new government
Before the formation of the new government, separate meetings of the legislative parties of all NDA allies are likely to be held to elect their respective leaders. A joint meeting of the NDA legislative party will then be convened to announce the leader of the alliance.
The newly elected NDA leader will subsequently stake claim to form the government before the Governor.
According to political discussions, the formation of the new government in Bihar is likely only after April 15. Before stepping down, Nitish Kumar may also chair a meeting of the state cabinet, where several key decisions could be taken.
Resigned as MLC last month
Earlier, on March 30, Nitish Kumar resigned from his position as a Member of the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC). After serving in the House for nearly two decades, he bid farewell to the council with a brief 29-word message.
His resignation triggered emotional reactions among some ministers. Minister Ashok Choudhary appeared visibly moved and broke down while speaking about Kumar’s leadership.
Speaking to the media, Choudhary said he had worked closely with the Chief Minister for many years. “I became even closer to him during the COVID period. He is a respected leader and a guiding figure for the state. The way he works and the respect he shows even to his opponents is remarkable. There can be no other leader like Nitish Kumar in this country,” he said.
The developments come amid ongoing discussions about the formation of a new government in Bihar and possible leadership changes within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
