BJP national president Nitin Nabin. Archive. | Photo credit: ANI
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP president Nitin Nabin on Monday (March 30, 2026) resigned as members of the Legislative Council and the Bihar Assembly respectively, and both the leaders are likely to take oath as newly elected members of the Rajya Sabha on April 10.
With Mr. Kumar’s resignation, all eyes are on who would be the next Chief Minister of Bihar. Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly, mocked Mr. Kumar’s resignation and said that he had not resigned but was “removed and misled” by the BJP.
Mr. Kumar’s brief letter of resignation was later accepted by Council Speaker Awadhesh Narayan Singh and Mr. Nabin’s resignation was accepted by Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar. Mr. Nabin, who was the party’s MLA from Bankipur constituency for five terms, was away from Patna and had sent his resignation to the Assembly Speaker through BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi. Nabin also posted a long and emotional message on social media about his political journey as an MLA from the constituency which was earlier also represented by his late father Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha for four terms.
Emotional Post
Nabin later wrote an emotional post on social media recalling his long association with the people of his constituency, which was previously represented by his father. Following the sudden death of his father in 2006, Nabin entered politics and represented the electorate five times.
Mr. Kumar and Mr. Nabin were elected members of the Rajya Sabha on March 16 from their respective parties’ quotas. According to constitutional provisions, the two leaders were required to resign from their positions as members of the respective chambers of the state legislature within 14 days.
Among political circles, there is speculation that Mr. Kumar would resign as Chief Minister after taking oath in Rajya Sabha on April 10.
Rural Development Minister Shrawan Kumar, a JD(U) MLA considered close to the CM and hailing from Nalanda’s home district, had earlier said that Kumar could “remain Chief Minister for the next six months, despite being elected to the Rajya Sabha”. JD(U) leader and Rural Works Department Minister Ashok Choudhary told reporters: “Nitish Kumar was not only our leader in the House but also a gatekeeper… it is sad to know that he is heading to Rajya Sabha as per his choice. Leaders like Mr. Kumar are rarely seen in Indian politics.”
With Mr Kumar’s imminent exit as Chief Minister, several names have emerged as possible successors, including Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, Forest Minister Pramod Kumar Chandravanshi, MPs Gayatri Devi and Shreyasi Singh.
‘Shooting in the dark’
“Except the BJP top brass, no one knows who will be the next CM…all the names doing the rounds in the media are mere speculations,” said a senior state JD(U) leader. The Hindu on condition of anonymity.
State BJP leaders also echoed a similar line. “Everyone shoots in the dark…no one knows for sure,” joked one party leader.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition, mocked the Chief Minister’s resignation as an MLC and said, “He has not resigned as CM, but the BJP has removed him, misled him and the people of Bihar. From the beginning, we (RJD) have been saying that Mr. Kumar would not remain CM. After being in office for a few months after the elections, he is now being removed by the BJP like the party in Maharashtra… there is a huge difference between what the BJP says and does.”
Published – March 30, 2026 11:47 am IST
