Nitish Kumar may enter Rajya Sabha amid protests from JD(U) supporters
Supporters allege a conspiracy to remove Bihar CM as speculation grows over his potential Rajya Sabha entry; BJP could get its first chief minister in the state
Angry supporters gathered outside Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence in Patna on Thursday (March 5), alleging a conspiracy to remove him from the state’s political scene amid speculation over his potential Rajya Sabha nomination, even though the JD(U) has not officially announced his candidature. They raised slogans in support of Kumar and tried to block the vehicles of JD(U) legislators from entering the residence.
JD(U) leader Rajeev Ranjan Patel, who led the supporters, said they wanted Kumar to remain as the chief minister and opposed any move to send him to the Rajya Sabha. “Bihar voted in his name. We want his son Nishant to go to the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
Another supporter claimed there was a conspiracy to remove Kumar as chief minister and warned that JD(U) workers would take to the streets if it happened. “We would not allow him to go to the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
Patel added that party workers had canvassed for Kumar just months ago and stressed that the public expects him to continue as chief minister. “If someone wants to change the chief minister, they should hold elections and secure a majority. Our demand is only that Nishant be sent to the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
JD(U) lawmaker Sanjay Singh echoed Patel, saying that while the final decision rests with Kumar, the people of Bihar want him to continue as the state’s chief minister.
Reports suggest that a section of JD(U) legislators and some ministers are also unhappy with the prospect of Kumar moving to the Rajya Sabha.
Nitish may enter Upper House
Their protests come amid reports that Nitish Kumar is likely to file nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls on Thursday. Kumar may file his nomination papers at the state assembly around 11 am, said news agency PTI citing some JDU leaders.
BJP president Nitin Nabin will also file his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to be present at the time of filing of the nomination papers.
State minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary had confirmed on Wednesday that Kumar was considering entering the Rajya Sabha, which would bring to an end his tenure as the longest-serving chief minister of the state.
With Kumar likely to step down after leading the ruling NDA to a landslide victory in the 2025 assembly elections, a BJP leader is expected to take over the top post.
If that happens, Bihar will get its first BJP chief minister -- the only Hindi heartland state where the party has not held the office so far. However, an official announcement regarding Kumar's entry into the Upper House of Parliament is yet to be made.
Five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar will go to the polls on March 16. The elections will be held as the tenures of JD(U)'s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, RJD's Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, and RLM's Upendra Kushwaha are ending.
As per the latest tally in the state legislature, all five seats would now go to the ruling NDA.