Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announces he will file nomination for Rajya Sabha polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeks to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming elections, ending his tenure as the longest-serving CM of the state, he confirmed on Thursday before filing his nomination. With this move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will have its first CM in Bihar.

"From the very beginning of my parliamentary journey, there has been a desire in my heart to become a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature as well as both Houses of Parliament. In keeping with this aspiration, I seek to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the elections being held this time," Nitish Kumar wrote in a post on X.

Also read: Major shift as Nitish Kumar heads to Rajya Sabha; BJP set to have its first Bihar CM


The JDU leader has agreed to launch his only son, Nishant in politics, a development that led to jubilations in the JD(U).

"For more than two decades, you have consistently placed your trust and support in me, and it is on the strength of that trust that we have served Bihar and all of you with complete dedication," he said.

He credited the power of citizens' trust and support that has enabled Bihar to present a new dimension of development and dignity.

The 75-year old political leader assured that the new government that will be formed will have his full cooperation and guidance.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be present at the nomination filing of Nitin Nabin and Nitish Kumar. After filing the nomination, Janata Dal (United) will have a legislative party meeting where all the MLAs will be present and Nitish Kumar will announce his resignation from the current post.

Nitish Kumar's political career

Nitish Kumar began his political career with the Janata Dal and was elected as an MLA in 1985. In 1994, he co-founded the Samata Party along with George Fernandes.

In 1996, he was elected to the Lok Sabha and later served as a Union Minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2005, the National Democratic Alliance secured a majority in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, after which Kumar became Chief Minister, leading a coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In the 2010 state elections, the ruling coalition was re-elected. However, in 2013 Kumar severed ties with the BJP and formed a coalition with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Indian National Congress.

In 2014, he was replaced as Chief Minister by Jitan Ram Manjhi, but returned to the post in 2015, when he led the Mahagathbandhan to victory later that year.

In 2017, Kumar again parted ways with the RJD and rejoined the NDA, forming another coalition with the BJP that continued through the 2020 state elections. In August 2022, he left the NDA and rejoined the Mahagathbandhan. In January 2024, Kumar once again exited the Mahagathbandhan and returned to the NDA. In 2025, he won his fifth election in a landslide and was sworn in as Chief Minister for the tenth time.

Kumar’s return to the national political arena could also allow the BJP to gain a greater role in Bihar’s government and potentially even stake a claim to the Chief Minister’s post.