Nitish Kumar Resigns as MLC
Patna: In a major development in Bihar politics, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resigned today as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), about two weeks after being elected to the Rajya Sabha.
The resignation letter of the 75-year-old leader was submitted at the Bihar Legislative Council Secretariat by his party colleague and JDU MLC Sanjay Gandhi.
The development is a precursor to Kumar's likely exit as the Chief Minister of Bihar expected in the coming days and is part of a major political realignment in the state where he dominated politics for over two decades.
The stage for today's development was set earlier this month when it was unexpectedly announced that Kumar would move to Delhi by contesting Rajya Sabha elections and his 50-year-old son Nishant joined JDU on March 8 to become the political heir of his father.
Subsequently, Nitish Kumar got elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 16.
Nitish Kumar's political journey has been full of ups and downs. He began his political career as an MLA in 1985. He later served as a Minister in the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998.
In 2005, he became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time, heading the government of NDA which dislodged Lalu Prasad-led RJD from power after several years.
He changed political alliances several times, sometimes forming governments with the BJP and sometimes with the RJD. However, he continued to remain in power.
In 2025, he became the Chief Minister for the fifth time after the NDA, of which JDU was a part, got a landslide victory in the Assembly elections.
With Nitish Kumar shifting to national politics, there has been speculation about who would be the next Chief Minister of Bihar.
BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary is being considered a leading contender for the post.
There is speculation that Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar may be made the Deputy Chief Minister.
An announcement is expected to be made shortly.
