Bihar BJP leader Sanjay Saraogi on Sunday confirmed that incumbent Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar will formally take oath as Rajya Sabha MP on April 10.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Saraogi outlined the roadmap for the formation of the new Cabinet, emphasizing a collaborative approach involving the senior party leadership and coalition partners.
“The Chief Minister, the central leadership of our Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the NDA will sit together and take a decision on this,” he said.
The development comes amid intense political activity in Bihar as the state’s longest serving Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar has resigned as Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) member, in another major political change as he prepares to take charge in the Rajya Sabha after being elected early last month.
On March 5, the 75-year-old leader announced his decision in an emotional message. He expressed his strong desire to become a member of both the houses of the Bihar Legislative Assembly as well as the Parliament. He reiterated his commitment towards building a “developed Bihar” and assured his “support and guidance” to the new government.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) welcomed Kumar’s decision and hailed his return to parliamentary democracy.
Reacting to the development, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha said, “It is his own decision. As per the constitutional system, if he is taking oath at any other place, he will have to resign from one place.”
Former JDU MP Chandeshwar Chandravanshi commented, “He has brought Bihar here. He is going to Delhi, but his hold on Bihar politics will remain. His vision is not just for Bihar but for the entire country.”
JDU MLA Dulal Chandra Goswami said party chief Nitish Kumar had included Bihar in the “list of developed states” and his resignation from the post of Member of Legislative Council (MLC) is “a big loss for the state”.