Nitish Kumar Eyes Rajya Sabha Seat, Debate Begins Over Who Will Be the Next Bihar Chief Minister

Bihar | 5 March 2026 A new political development is taking shape in Bihar as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha. His move to the Upper House could leave the chief minister’s post vacant, triggering discussions within the National Democratic Alliance about who will take over the leadership of the state government. According to people familiar with the developments, two major names have emerged as possible contenders for the chief minister’s position. One of them is Samrat Choudhary, who currently serves as one of the deputy chief ministers of Bihar. Choudhary has been an important figure in the state’s politics and has earlier handled key responsibilities, including serving as Panchayati Raj Minister. At present, he also holds the home affairs portfolio in the state government. Another name being discussed is Nityanand Rai, who is currently the Minister of State for Home Affairs at the Centre. Rai has long been active in Bihar politics and previously served as the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. He is also a four-time MLA from Hajipur and later became a Member of Parliament from Ujiarpur in 2015. Meanwhile, political speculation has also grown around Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar. Reports suggest that he may soon enter active politics and could join the Janata Dal (United). There are also reports that he could be inducted into the state cabinet. A senior minister Sharwan Kumar said, “He will be given a bigger responsibility in the party. What responsibility he is going to get will be decided in a day or two,” adding when asked about a possible Rajya Sabha role, “Anything can happen.” Apart from the major contenders, names such as Dilip Jaiswal and Sanjiv Chaurasia have also surfaced in discussions for the top post. Nitish Kumar Eyes Rajya Sabha Seat, Debate Begins Over Who Will Be the Next Bihar Chief Minister A new political development is taking shape in Bihar as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha. His move to the Upper House could leave the chief minister’s post vacant, triggering discussions within the National Democratic Alliance about who will take over the leadership of the state government. According to people familiar with the developments, two major names have emerged as possible contenders for the chief minister’s position. One of them is Samrat Choudhary, who currently serves as one of the deputy chief ministers of Bihar. Choudhary has been an important figure in the state’s politics and has earlier handled key responsibilities, including serving as Panchayati Raj Minister. At present, he also holds the home affairs portfolio in the state government. Another name being discussed is Nityanand Rai, who is currently the Minister of State for Home Affairs at the Centre. Rai has long been active in Bihar politics and previously served as the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. He is also a four-time MLA from Hajipur and later became a Member of Parliament from Ujiarpur in 2015. Meanwhile, political speculation has also grown around Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar. Reports suggest that he may soon enter active politics and could join the Janata Dal (United). There are also reports that he could be inducted into the state cabinet. A senior minister Sharwan Kumar said, “He will be given a bigger responsibility in the party. What responsibility he is going to get will be decided in a day or two,” adding when asked about a possible Rajya Sabha role, “Anything can happen.” Apart from the major contenders, names such as Dilip Jaiswal and Sanjiv Chaurasia have also surfaced in discussions for the top post.