Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday resigned from the state Legislative Council following his recent election to the Rajya Sabha, setting off fresh political speculation over the leadership transition that will take place when he eventually leaves the post of Chief Minister.
For the time being, however, Kumar will continue as Bihar Chief Minister. Under constitutional provisions, a person can hold the post for up to six months without being a member of either House of the state legislature.
The resignation from the Legislative Council was accepted by Council Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh. According to officials, a resignation letter was submitted to the Chairman by JD(U) MLC Sanjay Kumar Singh earlier in the day. The move comes in compliance with rules that require a legislator to vacate their seat in the state legislature upon being elected to Parliament.
Kumar, who got elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 16, is expected to take oath in the Upper House in the coming days.
He had been a member of the Bihar Legislative Council since 2006, and was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in May 2024, with his tenure scheduled to continue till 2030. Over a four-decade-long political career, he has served as a member of the Bihar Assembly, the Lok Sabha, and the Legislative Council, and now enters the Rajya Sabha for the first time, placing him among a select group of leaders to have been part of all four legislative forums.
His resignation follows a day of heightened political activity on Sunday, when several senior JD(U) leaders, including Sanjay Kumar Jha and ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Yadav and Ashok Choudhary, met the Chief Minister at his residence.
In a parallel development, newly appointed BJP national president Nitin Nabin also resigned from his MLA position on Monday after being elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 16.
In a social media post addressed to his constituents in Bankipur, Nabin said his political journey began in 2006 when he was elected from Patna West following a by-election. “Over the past 20 years, I have worked with dedication for the development of my constituency and Bihar,” he said, noting that he had been elected five consecutive times by the people.
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Thanking the party leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Nabin said he had the opportunity to contribute to policy decisions and their implementation during his tenure as a minister. Announcing his resignation from the Bankipur Assembly seat, he said he would continue to work towards the goal of a developed Bihar and India.
With two senior leaders vacating their positions following their election to the Rajya Sabha, the discussions within the NDA now shifts towards the next CM face and the composition of the government in the days ahead.
Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance.
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An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Himanshu brings a rigorous academic foundation to his investigative work. His expertise is characterized by a "ground-up" reporting style, most notably demonstrated during his extensive coverage of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he analyzed shifting political landscapes and grassroots sentiment.
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