Nitish Kumar, who has been the Chief Minister of Bihar 10 times, filed his nomination for the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday (March 5). Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior NDA leaders were present in this ceremony. After the results of last year’s assembly elections, on February 27, Nitish Kumar took oath as Chief Minister for the 10th time. His decision to contest elections for Rajya Sabha surprised everyone.
Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister of Bihar since 2005. Earlier, Nitish Kumar said that the new Chief Minister and the new government of the state will get his full support and guidance. He said, “For more than two decades, you have consistently shown your trust and support in me. On the strength of this trust, we have served Bihar and all of you with complete loyalty. It is because of your trust and support that Bihar is today creating a new identity of development and respect.” Thanking the people of the state, Kumar said that since the beginning of his parliamentary career, his desire has been to become a member of both the houses of the Bihar Legislature as well as the Parliament.
What did Nitish Kumar say before filing nomination?
He said on the social media platform ‘X’, “Keeping this desire in mind, I want to become a member of Rajya Sabha in this election.” He further said, “I want to assure you with all sincerity that my relationship with you will continue in future also and my intention to work together to build a developed Bihar will remain firm. The new government to be formed in the state will get my full support and guidance.”
With Kumar stepping down after leading the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a landslide victory in the 2025 assembly elections, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader is likely to become the chief minister. If this happens, Bihar will have a Chief Minister from BJP for the first time. Among Hindi-speaking states, Bihar is the only state that does not have a BJP chief minister. Elections for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are to be held on March 16 and Thursday is the last day to file nominations. Given the current strength in the state assembly, Kumar’s election to the upper house of Parliament is considered almost certain.