Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to resign from the state legislature on Monday, marking the final day allowed under constitutional provisions following his recent election to the Rajya Sabha.
Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) supremo, secured a Rajya Sabha seat earlier this month on March 16 as part of the NDA’s sweep of all five such seats in Bihar. Under the Prohibition of Simultaneous Membership Rules, 1950 — framed under Articles 101 and 190 of the Constitution — a person elected to both Parliament and a state legislature must vacate one of the seats within 14 days. The deadline for Kumar, who serves as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), falls on March 30.
A senior JD(U) leader had earlier indicated to Hindustan Times that both Kumar and BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who was also elected to the Rajya Sabha, were likely to submit their resignations from the Bihar assembly on the last permissible day. Nabin’s resignation had been delayed due to an urgent engagement in Delhi, described by a party leader as “no big deal.”
Sanjay Kumar Jha, a close aide of Nitish Kumar, echoed the constitutional requirement while speaking to reporters on Friday. According to news agency PTI, Jha stated: “It is stipulated in the Constitution that one should resign within 14 days. Things will happen accordingly.” He stopped short of confirming the exact timing of the resignation.
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There has been no official word yet on whether Kumar will also step down as Chief Minister upon resigning his legislative seat. Some JD(U) leaders have suggested that any change in the state’s leadership could be postponed, pointing to constitutional clauses that permit a person to continue as chief minister for up to six months without being a member of the state legislature, PTI reported.
Kumar himself has remained silent on the date he plans to take oath as a Rajya Sabha member.
The development comes amid speculation about the future political arrangement in Bihar, where the NDA holds power. Nitin Nabin’s own resignation process has similarly drawn attention, with reports indicating internal brainstorming within the BJP on potential leadership transitions.