PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to resign on April 13. He was elected to the Upper House of the parliament on March 16 and is likely to be sworn in as a Rajya Sabha member on April 10.
Sources said that he would visit New Delhi on April 9 and is likely to take oath as a Rajya Sabha member the next day. During his visit to the national capital, he is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Nitish is likely to resign as chief minister soon after returning to Patna after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha member, initiating the process for the formation of a new government in Bihar.
He is expected to return to Patna from New Delhi on or after April 12.
Before Nitish’s Delhi visit, JD(U) will hold a meeting with its top leaders on April 6 to decide the strategy ahead.
Nitish’s successor will be decided at the meeting of the NDA scheduled to be held on April 14.
There is a strong possibility that this time the Chief Minister will be chosen from the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in the 2025 assembly elections with 89 MLAs. Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary is considered a frontrunner among other probable names doing the rounds.
State social welfare minister Madan Sahni on Friday dropped enough hints at Nitish’s successor.
Sahni’s statement that the pairing of deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and Nishant Kumar could prove to be a hit in the future has triggered speculation that Nishant could be made deputy CM.
He added that the decision could be made with the consent of both JD(U) and BJP. However, the final decision rests with the top leadership of the BJP, he said, adding that both Nitish and the people of Bihar wanted Samrat Choudhary to become the next chief minister.
Sahni also dropped significant hints regarding the new cabinet. He said that many new faces will be given opportunities in the new government.
Five to seven senior JD(U) leaders are likely to be included, while the remaining seats will be filled by new faces. He also stated that new members may be included in Nishant’s team. Notably, Samrat Choudhary accompanied Nitish during his ‘Samriddhi Yatra’.
Meanwhile, the Bihar Home Department has confirmed that Nitish Kumar would continue to receive ‘Z Plus’ security even after stepping down as CM.
The decision follows a review of his security requirements under the Bihar Special Security Act, 2000, with the Director General of Police and the Special Branch tasked with ensuring the highest level of protection.
‘Z Plus’ is India’s top-tier security cover, typically reserved for the Prime Minister, the President, and senior political leaders, and includes around 55 personnel comprising personal security officers, armed guards, escort vehicles, and round-the-clock surveillance.
Nitish resigned from the Bihar Legislative Council on March 30.