In a major development in Bihar's politics, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to resign from his post on Monday. While there has been no official announcement from the Janata Dal United (JDU) yet, the constitution mandates an individual elected for the Rajya Sabha to resign from the state legislature within 14 days. Kumar's resignation would be a significant event, as the JDU veteran will return to national politics after handling the CM post for nearly two decades.
JDU Leaders React
Nitish Kumar met several JDU leaders on Sunday to discuss the strategy for the formation of the new government. The party leaders, for the last time, tried to convince him to take his decision back. However, the JDU veteran insisted on his decision to re-enter national politics. "Yes, he is doing so. Everyone wanted the same (that he should not resign from the CM post), but he did not agree," JDU MLA Anant Kumar Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.
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As per the reports, the state is likely to get its first BJP chief minister following the departure of Kumar. Several prominent saffron party leaders, including Samrat Chaudhary, Nityanand Rai, Dilip Jaiswal, and Vijay Sinha, are the front runners for the top post. However, the reports also suggest that the JDU will be given a larger number of ministries in the new setup. Apart from this, Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar, who entered active politics recently, is also likely to be made deputy chief minister of the state.
As per the constitutional provisions, Kumar is required to leave his membership in the state legislature within 14 days of being elected to the upper house. The JDU veteran is likely to take the oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on April 10.