Nitish Kumar Submits Nomination for Rajya Sabha Seat After Concluding Record Tenure as Bihar Chief Minister

Rajya Sabha Polls: JD(U) Chief Nitish Kumar Files Nomination

On March 5, 2026, Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar and leader of the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) party, filed his nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for March 16. Kumar, accompanied by Nitin Nabin, the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, submitted his nomination at the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Kumar's decision to join the Rajya Sabha marks the completion of his wish to be a member of both Houses of Parliament and both Houses of the state legislature. This move paves the way for the BJP to appoint its own Chief Minister in Bihar for the first time. The JD(U) chief will formally enter the Upper House after April 9, when outgoing members retire.

The BJP is expected to appoint a new Chief Minister, with several leaders emerging as frontrunners. Samrat Choudhary, the Deputy Chief Minister and key Home portfolio holder, is considered one of the most influential BJP leaders in the state and is widely seen as the number two in the current government. Other potential candidates include Nityanand Rai, a Union Minister, and Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, a state minister.

Read also: Kumar Mangalam Birla to Address Concluding Function of RSS Training Camp