Nitish set to resign as CM, BJP to name its pick today

Patna: Bihar is set for a major political transition as its longest-serving chief minister Nitish Kumar is expected to resign on Tuesday, paving the way for a new BJP-led govt to take office on Wednesday, April 15. According to sources in the NDA, Kumar will submit his resignation to the governor at 3.30pm on Tuesday.

The development is politically significant because it could give the BJP its first “own chief minister” in Bihar, the only state in the Hindi heartland where the party has so far not been able to independently occupy the top post in govt.




Outlining the day’s schedule, Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi said, “The BJP legislature party meeting will be held at the party’s state office at 2 pm. This will be followed by a meeting of the NDA legislature party, at the central hall of the assembly, at 4 pm to elect the new leader of the ruling alliance.”

He also said Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, appointed by the BJP parliamentary board as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader, will arrive in Patna on Tuesday for the process.

Before stepping down, Kumar, who heads the JD(U), has called what is expected to be his final cabinet meeting on Tuesday at 11am, where he is likely to formally announce his decision. Explaining the procedure, minister and former state BJP president Dilip Kumar Jaiswal said, “It is a constitutional requirement. The CM informs his colleagues about his decision to dissolve the cabinet and goes to the governor with the recommendation.”

The JD(U) legislature party meeting has also been convened at the CM’s official residence at 2pm to elect its leader in the assembly. Since Kumar has resigned from the legislative council and taken oath as a Rajya Sabha member, the party must choose a new leader in the assembly. Although Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar is being projected as a possible deputy CM in the new govt, he is not a member of either House of the Bihar Legislature, meaning the JD(U) will have to elect someone else as its legislature party leader, according to a party leader.

Chouhan is expected to formally announce the name of the next CM soon after the NDA legislature party meeting on Tuesday. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for April 15 at 11am at Lok Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may attend the event and BJP leaders claim he is likely to arrive in Patna on the evening of April 14.

The date of transition carries symbolic weight. April 14 was chosen because it coincides with Ambedkar’s birth anniversary and also marks the end of the ‘kharmas’ period, traditionally considered an auspicious time for new beginnings.

Signs of Kumar’s departure are already visible. He has begun shifting his belongings from the official CM’s residence at 1 Anne Marg to 7, Circular Road. On Monday, he visited 7, Circular Road to inspect the bungalow where he is expected to move after resigning.

Preparations for the oath ceremony are underway. Governor’s secretary Gopal Meena held a series of meetings on Monday with the Patna DM and other senior officials, issuing strict instructions to ensure full security arrangements across the Lok Bhavan premises.

At the JD(U) office, workers were seen removing posters put up during the elections that read, “Pachis se tees, Phir se Nitish” (from 2025-30, it will be Nitish again), underlining the dramatic shift in the political atmosphere.

Speculation over Kumar’s successor remains intense. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary is seen as a leading contender. The son of Kumar’s former close aide Shakuni Choudhary, he joined the BJP in 2017 after spending nearly 15 years in the RJD, JD(U) and HAM-S. Though party leaders have remained tight-lipped, Samrat has drawn considerable attention, with senior leaders and officials visiting his residence.

However, some BJP leaders are said to be uncomfortable with his elevation and argue others are equally suitable, including Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai, who is seen as more deeply rooted in the RSS. They also note the BJP high command has often sprung surprises in states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Odisha by choosing less-expected faces for the top post.

Other names being discussed for the chief minister’s post include sports minister Shreyasi Singh, industries minister Dilip Jaiswal and Digha MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia.
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