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Marking the extremity of an era, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar filed his information papers for the Rajya Sabha connected Thursday (March 5, 2026), successful the beingness of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He was accompanied by the different 4 candidates of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, including BJP nationalist president Nitin Nabin, who filed their papers for the 5 Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar becoming vacant connected April 9.
As the Opposition mocked Mr. Kumar for becoming a “puppet of the BJP”, accusing him of betraying the electoral mandate, rumours buzzed wrong the NDA astir who would win him successful Patna, with discussions astir the Janata Dal (United) chief’s lad being fixed the Deputy CM relation nether a BJP CM.
Confirming speculation astir the extremity of his 20-year regularisation successful Bihar with a station connected societal media, Mr. Kumar declared that helium had a “desire successful his heart” to go a subordinate of some the Houses of Parliament. As helium has antecedently been a Lok Sabha MP, helium present “seeks” to go a subordinate of the Rajya Sabha, helium said.
NDA sources told quality bureau PTI that it volition instrumentality a fewer weeks earlier Mr. Kumar relinquishes the CM’s post, which helium is apt to clasp until leaving for the nationalist superior to beryllium sworn successful arsenic an MP.
‘Spotless, aureate tenure’
After each 5 NDA candidates filed their information papers, Mr. Shah praised Mr. Kumar’s tenure successful Bihar arsenic “spotless, memorable, and golden”. He added: “Nitish Kumar ji volition beryllium remembered for the glorious works helium has done for the improvement of the State.”
Apart from Mr. Kumar and Mr. Nabin, the different NDA candidates are erstwhile BJP MLA Shivesh Kumar, JD(U) person and Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) main Upendra Kushwaha. Both Mr. Thakur and Mr. Kushwaha are seeking re-election to the Upper House.
NDA buzz
Though determination had been buzz that Mr. Kumar’s lad Nishant Kumar would formally articulation the JD(U) connected Thursday, determination was nary confirmation from the party. “Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wants to marque Nishant Kumar joining the enactment arsenic a abstracted event,” a JD(U) root said.
It is expected that erstwhile the elder Mr. Kumar shifts his governmental basal to Delhi, his lad whitethorn beryllium appointed 1 of 2 Deputy Chief Ministers from the JD(U) nether a caller authorities headed, for the archetypal clip successful Bihar, by a Chief Minister from the BJP. The names doing the rounds for the apical station see existent Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, and Bihar Industries Minister Dilip Jaiswal. Some NDA leaders claimed that Mr. Kumar would “continue to usher and pb the NDA successful Bihar”.
JD(U) workers protest
A conception of JD(U) workers protested Mr. Kumar’s determination extracurricular his authoritative residence and enactment office successful Patna, shouting slogans saying, “Nitish Kumar zindabad”, and “Hum Nitish Kumar ko Bihar nahi chhodne denge (We volition not fto Nitish Kumar permission Bihar)”. Some protesting enactment workers flipped furnishings astatine enactment headquarters, though constabulary were deployed determination arsenic good arsenic astatine the Bihar legislature and the CM’s residence to forestall further mayhem.
“We braved lathis to marque Nitish Kumar the Chief Minister of the State,” said an affectional JD-U idiosyncratic extracurricular the 1, Anne Marg residence of the CM.
‘Betrayal of mandate’
Rashtriya Janata Dal person Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition successful the State Assembly mocked Mr. Kumar’s decision. “I explicit my sympathy for Nitish Kumar ji. He has been hijacked by BJP leaders... His intelligence information is not good, helium said. “The halfway voters of the JD-U consciousness cheated. It’s a betrayal of mandate.”
He besides accused the BJP of usurping powerfulness successful the State. “The Maharashtra exemplary has been implemented successful Bihar arsenic well. It is good known that the BJP has gobbled up its confederation partners successful respective places,” Mr. Yadav told journalists successful Patna. “Whoever becomes the caller Chief Minister of Bihar, helium volition beryllium a rubber stamp of the BJP,” helium added. In a station connected societal media, his sister Rohini Acharya claimed that Mr. Kumar has go a “puppet of the BJP”, terming his actions arsenic the “pinnacle of opportunism”.
RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha drew parallels betwixt Mr. Nitish Kumar and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who was captured by U.S. forces earlier this year. “What happened present is akin to what happened with Maduro successful Venezuela, kidnapping with consent,” helium said.
The Congress’s State spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari besides took a swipe astatine Mr. Kumar’s determination with a notation to the NDA’s slogan during past year’s Assembly election. “25 se 30, phir se Nitish… Lekin 2026 mein hullo nipat gaye Nitish (From 2025 to 2030, erstwhile again Nitish Kumar, [they said]... But helium has been disposed of successful 2026 itself),” helium said.
