NDA 'big brother' takes charge? What Nitish Kumar's Rajya Sabha move means for BJP

Nitish has taken oath as the Bihar Chief Minister a record 10 times.

• Nitish Kumar to resign as Bihar CM, move to Rajya Sabha
• BJP likely to get its first Chief Minister in Bihar
• JD(U) faces reduced influence as BJP gains dominance

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After over two decades of leading the Bihar government, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar on Thursday said he would be resigning as Chief Minister and moving to the Rajya Sabha.

In a post on X, the Bihar CM said he always had 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.

The move comes after the recently held Bihar assembly election in which the NDA secured 202 out of 243 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 89 seats.

On the other hand, the Janata Dal (United) won 85 seats — a jump of 42 from the previous election — with Nitish Kumar once again emerging as the force behind the decisive victory.

Both the BJP and JD(U) contested 101 seats each as part of the NDA.

His shift to the Upper House is widely seen as paving the way for the BJP to install its own chief minister in Bihar for the first time.

Did Nitish’s health issues prompt a move?

Bihar's opposition alliance, comprising RJD, Congress, and Left parties, has long been voicing concerns about Kumar's health and its potential impact on governance.

After the Bihar election, there have been reports that the situation had begun affecting the pace of governance in the state. There has been a growing perception that the administrative machinery was taking on a larger role in running the government.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the Chief Minister is “facing serious health issues", which prompted the NDA leadership to make the move.

By moving to the Rajya Sabha, Nitish will remain politically active while stepping away from the demanding responsibilities of leading the Bihar government.

How will Bihar dynamics change for BJP?

Nitish has been the fulcrum of Bihar politics. His entry to Rajya Sabha would allow the NDA to reorganise leadership in the state while ensuring that Nitish continues to play a guiding role at the national level.

Even with more legislators in the Assembly, the BJP always functioned as a junior partner in perception.

Nitish has taken oath as the Bihar Chief Minister a record 10 times. Bihar is the only state in the Hindi heartland where the BJP never had its own chief minister

Now, there is also speculation that Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar could be groomed for a political role, possibly as Deputy Chief Minister. The move would ensure that the JD(U) remains aligned with the NDA during this transition.

However, this move would underline a striking role reversal in Bihar politics. The BJP, once the junior partner in the alliance, could take the Chief Minister’s post, while the JD(U) would play a supporting role.

Nitish Kumar’s leadership allowed the JD(U) to punch above weight. His personal credibility among sections such as Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and Mahadalits helped sustain the party’s relevance.

However, the BJP gradually expanded its outreach to the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and Mahadalit communities that Nitish Kumar had once successfully mobilised. By promoting local leaders from these groups, the BJP steadily reduced its reliance on the vote-transfer strength of the JD(U).

As the BJP prepares for the possibility of installing its first-ever Chief Minister in Bihar, the JD(U) faces the challenge of being gradually subsumed by its larger and more organisationally robust ally.