Nitish Kumar Announces Candidacy for Rajya Sabha Elections

Nitish Kumar's Political Move

On Thursday, Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declared his intention to run in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

If he secures a victory, Kumar is anticipated to resign from his role as chief minister.

This announcement has sparked rumors that his son, Nishant Kumar, may be appointed as the deputy chief minister, with a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party potentially stepping into the chief minister position.

It is noteworthy that Nishant Kumar has not been actively involved in politics.

In a post on social media, Nitish Kumar expressed a long-held aspiration to serve in both Houses of the Bihar Legislature and both Houses of Parliament since the start of his political career.

He stated, “In alignment with this goal, I aim to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming elections.”

Kumar further assured his constituents, saying, “I promise that my commitment to work alongside you for a developed Bihar will remain unwavering.”

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

Nitish Kumar took office as chief minister for the tenth time in November after the National Democratic Alliance secured victory in the Assembly elections.

Currently, there are five vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, with four candidates from the NDA likely to be elected unopposed due to the Assembly's composition. This includes two BJP legislators and one from the Janata Dal (United).

BJP leader Nitin Nabin, who previously served as a minister in Kumar's government, has been nominated by the party from Bihar. Additionally, Shivesh Ram, a former MLA and the current Bihar BJP general secretary, has also been nominated as the second candidate.

To secure the fifth seat, the NDA will need three more votes.

The elections for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across ten states are set for March 16, with the deadline for filing nominations having passed on Thursday.

The ruling NDA is projected to win approximately 19 seats, currently holding 133 MPs in the 245-member Rajya Sabha. The BJP alone has 103, which is 20 votes shy of the majority threshold of 123.

Following these elections, an additional 34 vacancies are anticipated in the Upper House throughout the year.