JD(U)’s deleted post fuels fresh buzz: Who will be the next CM of Bihar?

Nitish Kumar

A post shared by JD(U) on X declaring Nitish Kumar as chief minister -- which has now been deleted – has sparked conversations about the veteran socialist leader’s future in light of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly polls.

Prior to the Bihar Assembly polls, while the BJP asserted that it was contesting the elections under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar, it never announced his name formally for the top post.

"Unprecedented and unmatched. Nitish Kumar was, is, and will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar," the JD(U) tweeted on Friday. Moments later, however, the post was deleted, triggering speculations over Kumar’s role in the future.

The buzz arises from the BJP’s dominant performance in the 2025 polls, which has positioned it as the single largest party. Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has also surprised many with a robust showing, though its seat count remains below that of the BJP.

This has led to speculation that the BJP might aim to bring in a chief minister from within its ranks, echoing the 2024 Maharashtra precedent -- where the party shifted from supporting Eknath Shinde to appointing Devendra Fadnavis after outperforming its allies.

NDA's lead crosses 200 mark

Meanwhile, NDA is heading towards setting a new milestone in the 2025 Bihar elections, as it has crossed the 200-mark in the latest trends. The NDA, which secured 206 seats in the 2010 elections, is currently leading on 207 seats with both BJP and JD(U)’s unanticipated performances.

For Nitish Kumar, who has governed the state for nearly two decades, this election has been widely viewed as a test of both political endurance and public trust. Once celebrated as "Sushashan Babu" for pulling Bihar out of the shadows of what was often termed the "jungle raj," the chief minister has in recent years confronted signs of voter weariness and questions over his shifting political alignments.

Despite this, the current trends reflect a noticeable shift on the ground, indicating that voters are reposing faith in his governance model once again.