‘Sushasan Babu’ heads to Delhi: Nitish Kumar set to take Rajya Sabha oath today

Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Friday, bringing the curtain down on a decades-long tenure at the head of the state. His move to the Upper House marks a significant transition in the political landscape, paving the way for a new government in the state.

With Kumar leaving the chief minister’s post, the NDA is expected to elect a new leader on April 14; This is an announcement that could redefine Bihar’s power dynamics.

The JD(U) chairman was elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 16 and was required to resign as MLC within 14 days of his election. His departure marks the end of an era: from his early days as an MLA in the 1980s to becoming Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister for ten terms since 2005, Kumar has been the state’s most enduring political force.

A prominent figure in national politics, he also served as the Union Minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Bihar now stands on the verge of a major political reset as it transitions to parliament.

Journey as ‘Sushashan babu’

Nitish Kumar has remained one of the most enduring and influential figures in Bihar’s politics since the mid-1990s; He deftly navigates a complex landscape shaped by shifting alliances and caste equations while projecting a governance-focused image.

Its rise as a central power began after the 1994 rebellion in Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal, when it broke away from then chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and formed the Samata Party with veteran socialist George Fernandes. That moment marked the beginning of Kumar’s long and strategic political journey.
In March 2000, Kumar briefly became the Prime Minister for just seven days, from 3 March to 10 March, after a fragmented tenure led to a hung Parliament. He had to resign because he could not prove a majority in the Parliament; this was an early setback that would later shape his cautious and calculated political style. By 2005, in the middle of the Presidential rule in Bihar, Kumar launched the first major public initiative, ‘Nyay Yatra’, and it became a turning point. Many of the signature governance measures such as reservation of seats for women in local bodies, ban and self-help group initiative ‘Jeevika Didi’ are believed to have been shaped by the feedback collected during these yatras. He recently completed ‘Samriddhi Yatra’ by announcing many development projects.

Over the years, Kumar has cultivated his image as a “management first” leader; this image has endured despite criticism regarding his age, health, and allegations of political fatigue. His ability to maintain social balance remains one of his most important political strengths. In a deeply divided state, he managed to build support across caste and community lines.

Although his Kurmi community makes up roughly 3% of Bihar’s population (much less than the Yadavs, who are over 14%, and the Muslims, who are around 18%), Kumar has support from groups beyond the hard-line political blocs. These include upper caste Hindus (around 10%), Kushwahas (over 4%), Paswans (over 5%), Musahars (over 3%) and Mallahs (around 2.6%). It has also retained some appeal among Muslim voters despite its alliances with the BJP.

Another important pillar of the support base was female voters. Over the years, Kumar has built significant goodwill among women, acting as a stabilizing force in Bihar’s electoral politics and helping maintain his leadership against wider political adversities.

First BJP CM likely soon

This will be the first time that the BJP will have its chief minister. Nitish Kumar was sworn in as CM in November last year and will now be in the Rajya Sabha. Kumar has been the CM of Bihar 10 times and his departure to the Upper House will open the door to new leadership within the JDU. While BJP has 85 MLAs in Bihar, JDU has 85 MLAs. Despite having more MLAs in the past too, the BJP offered the leadership role to Nitish Kumar and he played second fiddle. With a prime minister, the BJP will have a leading position on the country’s most sought-after eastern border.

While the NDA recorded a historic landslide victory in the 2025 Bihar assembly polls by winning 202 out of 243 seats, the Mahagathbandhan managed to get only 35 seats. The ruling alliance secured a three-fourth majority in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, marking the second time the NDA crossed the 200-seat mark in the state polls. It won 206 seats in 2010.