Nitish Kumar Signs Rajya Sabha Papers, Explains What's Behind His Big Shift

Nitish Kumar, JDU president and Bihar Chief Minister, filed the nomination papers for the March 16 Rajya Sabha election today, making a big shift from the Assembly to the Parliament after two decades of leading the Bihar government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha were with him.  

Kumar announced the decision in a post on X this morning. He said he long harboured a wish to become a member of both Houses of Parliament and both Houses of the state legislature. He has already been a Lok Sabha MP, an MLA, and an MLC, and a Rajya Sabha stint would complete the quartet.

"For the past two decades, you have trusted and supported me, and I have served you with full dedication. It is your trust and support due to which Bihar is setting new standards in development," he wrote. "Since the beginning of my parliamentary career, I had a desire in my heart to become a member of both Houses of state legislature, as well as both Houses of Parliament. That's why I want to become a Rajya Sabha MP in the upcoming election," Kumar wrote. "I assure you that my relationship with you will continue, and I will keep working for a developed Bihar. The new government will enjoy my full support and guidance." 

पिछले दो दशक से भी अधिक समय से आपने अपना विश्वास एवं समर्थन मेरे साथ लगातार बनाए रखा है, तथा उसी के बल पर हमने बिहार की और आप सब लोगों की पूरी निष्ठा से सेवा की है। आपके विश्वास और समर्थन की ही ताकत थी कि बिहार आज विकास और सम्मान का नया आयाम प्रस्तुत कर रहा है। इसके लिए पूर्व में…

— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) March 5, 2026

Earlier, NDTV reported that Kumar's aides say his wish to become a member of all four Houses is rooted in peer dynamics of Bihar politics. Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad, and the late Sushil Modi, three pillars of Bihar's political landscape for decades, started their journey together during the anti-Emergency agitation. So did late Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav. Barring Nitish Kumar, each of these leaders had a stint in the Rajya Sabha.

Kumar has been a member of the Assembly, the Legislative Council, and the Lok Sabha, but not the Rajya Sabha. This transition will help him achieve the rare record held by Lalu Yadav and Sushil Modi: membership in all four houses of the Indian parliamentary and state legislative system.

Bihar's political circles are abuzz with speculation over which BJP leader would replace Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister. The favourites are Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Union Minister Nityanand Rai and Bihar minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal.

Choudhary, who also handles the key home portfolio, is among the most influential BJP leaders in Bihar and the Number 2 in the government. He has been a former state party chief. Nityanand Rai is the junior Home Minister in the central government. Also a former Bihar BJP chief, he is a three-term MP and a former MLA. Jaiswal is a three-time member of the legislative council and has also served as the Bihar BJP chief. Another name doing the rounds is Digha MLA Sanjiv Chaurasiya. The BJP, however, is known to spring surprises and it is highly probable that it will come up with a name not doing the rounds. 

The Opposition has accused the BJP of carrying out a "political abduction" in Bihar, and said the core voter of Janata Dal (United) feels cheated now. Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD's Rajya Sabha MP, said the party's leader Tejashwi Yadav had repeatedly said during the Assembly polls campaign last year that Nitish Kumar would be a "temporary Chief Minister". "But this is too temporary. I read his post (on X). Don't call it Nitish ji's post. Each word has been chosen in Delhi," he told NDTV, implying that Kumar has taken the decision under pressure from the BJP. "A man who served as Chief Minister for 21 years now wants to come to Rajya Sabha. This is childish. At least, make a good argument," Jha said.

The RJD MP drew parallels between Nitish Kumar and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by the US forces and brought to the US in January on drug trafficking charges. "What happened here is similar to what happened with Maduro in Venezuela, kidnapping with consent. His (Kumar) core voter feels cheated," he said, stressing that this won't go down well with anyone in Bihar.

Jha said the BJP had executed a plan in Maharashtra to "demote" Sena chief Eknath Shinde and make him Deputy Chief Minister after the NDA win in the 2024 Maharashtra polls. "They knew Bihar is not Maharashtra and they cannot demote Nitish Kumar. So they tweaked the model. They made Nitish ji desi Maduro," he said.