JDU leader Nitish Kumar, who has been the Chief Minister of Bihar for two decades, is on his way to New Delhi to take his oath as a Rajya Sabha MP. Accompanying him are senior JD(U) members Sanjay Jha and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. Sources suggest that he is expected to step down as Bihar’s Chief Minister on April 14 during the NDA legislative party meeting to appoint the next CM.
It is speculated that Samrat Chaudhary, the current deputy chief minister, is the frontrunner to succeed Kumar as the Chief Minister of Bihar. Chaudhary is en route to New Delhi for discussions with the BJP’s central leadership regarding the leadership transition in Bihar. Kumar initiated the move to New Delhi on March 30 by resigning as a member of the Bihar Legislative Council.
Having secured his Rajya Sabha seat on March 17 along with four other NDA candidates, Kumar submitted his nomination papers on March 5. This decision followed his announcement to step down as the Bihar CM to fulfill his aspiration of becoming a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature and Parliament.
Despite leading the NDA to a significant electoral victory in the state not long ago, Kumar’s decision to move to the Rajya Sabha has raised questions. Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD working president and former ally of Kumar, has alleged that the move was influenced by the BJP, the primary coalition partner of JD(U). Yadav also accused the saffron party of attempting to undermine the JD(U).
Political analysts have expressed concerns that Kumar’s transition to the Upper House of Parliament may diminish his influence and that of his party in the region significantly.
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