Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to file Rajya Sabha nomination today
What's the story
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, sparking a flurry of political activity in Patna and fueling speculation over who could succeed him as CM. The Janata Dal (United) leader, who is also a National Democratic Alliance candidate, will submit his papers around 11:30am at the Assembly. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be present in Patna on the same day.
Political discussions
JD(U) held late-night meetings at party leader Sanjay Jha's residence
Ahead of the nomination, the JD(U) held late-night meetings at party leader Sanjay Jha's residence. These discussions have sparked speculation about a possible change in government formation in Bihar. The Rajya Sabha elections will fill five seats from Bihar, with nominations closing on Thursday. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Nitin Nabin and Bihar unit general secretary Shivesh Kumar as candidates. The JD(U) will also field Union Minister Ramnath Thakur as its second candidate.
Political implications
Kumar was sworn in as Bihar CM on November 20
Kumar's Rajya Sabha nomination comes after the NDA's victory in the Bihar Assembly elections last year. He was sworn in on November 20, 2025, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other NDA chief ministers present. If elected to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar would become a rare leader to have served in both Houses of the Bihar legislature and both Houses of Parliament.
Details
Polls on March 16
The Rajya Sabha polls will be held on March 16, 2026, to fill 37 seats in 10 states. The 37 seats that are falling vacant are seven from Maharashtra, Odisha (4), Tamil Nadu (6), West Bengal (5), Assam (3), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (2), Haryana (2), Himachal Pradesh (1) and Telangana (2). These seats will fall vacant in April.