New Delhi: Ending suspense over his doable shift to the Rajya Sabha, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Thursday introduced that he “search(s) to grow to be a member of the Rajya Sabha within the elections being held this time”.

With Nitish’s transfer, decks are clear for the set up of a brand new Bihar CM who’s prone to be from ally Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP). The precise timeline of Nitish’s exit as CM and the set up of his successor shouldn’t be clear but. It’s prone to be within the subsequent few weeks, in accordance with BJP leaders.

“For greater than 20 years, you’ve got persistently positioned your belief and assist in me, and it’s on the power of that belief that we have now served Bihar and all of you with full dedication. It was the facility of your belief and assist that has enabled Bihar as we speak to current a brand new dimension of growth and dignity. For this, I’ve expressed my gratitude to you a lot instances prior to now as nicely,” the chief minister posted on X Thursday.

“From the very starting of my parliamentary journey, there was a want in my coronary heart to grow to be a member of each Homes of the Bihar Legislature in addition to each Homes of Parliament,” he added. “In line with this aspiration, I search to grow to be a member of the Rajya Sabha within the elections being held this time.”

पिछले दो दशक से भी अधिक समय से आपने अपना विश्वास एवं समर्थन मेरे साथ लगातार बनाए रखा है, तथा उसी के बल पर हमने बिहार की और आप सब लोगों की पूरी निष्ठा से सेवा की है। आपके विश्वास और समर्थन की ही ताकत थी कि बिहार आज विकास और सम्मान का नया आयाम प्रस्तुत कर रहा है। इसके लिए पूर्व में…

— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) March 5, 2026

“With this, the Nitish, Lalu (Prasad) and (Ram Vilas) Paswan period involves an finish,” a senior chief from Nitish’s get together, JD(U), advised ThePrint.

Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah is at present in Patna for the submitting of nomination of BJP nationwide president Nitin Nabin. Thursday is the final date for nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for 16 March.

With quite a lot of JD(U) staff and supporters gathered exterior his residence since early Thursday, protesting his speculated trip of the CM’s chair, Nitish sought to allay their fears.

“I wish to guarantee you with full honesty that my relationship with you’ll proceed sooner or later as nicely, and my resolve to work along with you to construct a developed Bihar will stay steadfast. The brand new authorities that will likely be fashioned can have my full cooperation and steerage,” he added in his submit.

Nitish has taken oath as Bihar chief minister a report 10 instances. He has been within the seat since 2005, apart from a brief interval when Jitan Ram Manjhi was made CM after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

BJP has been eager on a change of guard in Bihar as early as doable. Final yr, when the NDA introduced its seat-sharing formulation for the Bihar elections, the JD(U) and the BJP contested an equal variety of seats– sending out the message that neither of them would act because the “huge brother”.

Based on sources within the BJP, with Nitish shifting to the Rajya Sabha, the get together will now have the ability to set up its personal chief minister within the state. Bihar is the one state within the Hindi heartland the place the BJP has by no means had its personal CM.

Key causes cited for the BJP pushing for a change of guard within the state embody considerations in regards to the CM’s well being and governance, the necessity to guarantee a sleek exit for him, and the need to have a chief minister from the get together for the primary time within the state.

Even earlier than the meeting elections, the JD(U) management nearly managed entry to the 75-year-old CM, who didn’t give any media interviews or had any interplay with folks past a small circle of JD(U) leaders and bureaucrats.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)

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