PATNA, (BiharTimes)March 5: In a significant political development, Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that he will contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, effectively ending his tenure as Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister.
Kumar, who has led the state since 2005, said he would seek election to the Upper House of Parliament in keeping with his long-held aspiration to serve in both Houses of the state legislature as well as Parliament.
“For more than two decades, you have consistently placed your trust and support in me. It is on the strength of that trust that we have served Bihar with complete dedication,” Kumar said in a statement expressing gratitude to the people of the state. He added that Bihar has been able to achieve “a new dimension of development and dignity” because of public confidence in his leadership.
Stating that his relationship with the people would remain unchanged, Kumar assured that the new government to be formed in the state would have his “full cooperation and guidance.”
The announcement comes months after he led the ruling NDA to a decisive victory in the 2025 Assembly elections. With Kumar stepping aside, a senior BJP leader is widely expected to assume the top post. If that happens, Bihar will have its first Chief Minister from the BJP — the only major Hindi heartland state where the party has not yet held the office.
Five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are scheduled to go to polls on March 16, with Thursday being the last date for filing nominations. Given the NDA’s strength in the state legislature, Kumar’s election to the Rajya Sabha is considered virtually certain.
Kumar’s move marks the end of an era in Bihar politics, closing a chapter that spanned over two decades and reshaped the state’s governance and development trajectory.
