Nitish Kumar Meets PM Modi Following BJP's Loss in Bihar By-Election

In a significant political development, Nitish Kumar, the JD-U leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi just a day after the BJP's unexpected loss in the Bankipur assembly by-election. This meeting, attended by key party figures, highlights the shifting political landscape in Bihar, especially after Kumar's recent resignation and the BJP's changing leadership. The by-election saw Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj Party triumph over the BJP candidate, raising questions about the future dynamics of the ruling coalition in the state. Read on to explore the implications of this meeting and the recent electoral outcomes.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 4, 2026, 15:20 IST

Meeting Between Nitish Kumar and PM Modi

New Delhi, August 4 - Nitish Kumar, the leader of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and former Chief Minister of Bihar, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, just a day after the BJP's defeat in the by-election for the Bankipur assembly seat in Patna. Present during this meeting were JD-U leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, along with the party's national executive president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) shared on 'X' that, 'Rajya Sabha member Nitish Kumar ji met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.'

Nitish Kumar mentioned that he paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister at his office located within the Parliament complex.

The by-election in the Bankipur assembly constituency, traditionally considered a BJP stronghold, was necessitated due to the vacancy created when Nitin Naveen took over as party president and was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha. In this by-election, Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraj Party, defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by a margin of 19,324 votes. Nitish Kumar, who has served as Bihar's Chief Minister ten times, resigned in April this year, leading to the first time a BJP leader (Samrat Chaudhary) took charge of the state government.

In Bihar, both the BJP and JD-U are part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).