Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM after 20 years; BJP to pick next chief minister

Ten-time Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has resigned, marking the end of his two-decade-long tenure. His successor is likely to take oath tomorrow.

Kumar, who heads JD(U) and was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha.

The decision followed a cabinet meeting in Patna, which ministers described as emotional, with expressions of gratitude and reflection on Kumar’s long political and administrative journey.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the single largest party in the 243-member Bihar Assembly with 89 MLAs, is set to hold a legislature party meeting to elect its leader. The decision will determine the next chief minister.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is being discussed as a frontrunner, though party insiders say the final decision will be taken by the BJP’s central leadership.

Once the leader is chosen, NDA legislators — comprising 202 MLAs from alliance partners including JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha — are expected to meet to demonstrate majority support and stake claim to form the government.

JD(U) leaders have indicated that even after stepping down, Kumar is likely to remain active in Bihar politics and continue to play a guiding role in the evolving political arrangement, the Times of India reported.