Months after the landslide victory of Nitish Kumar and the NDA coalition in the Assembly elections, Bihar is now heading towards another political development. The 10-time Bihar chief minister is scheduled to file his nomination for Rajya Sabha chairmanship on Thursday.
With his nomination, the prime minister’s seat will become vacant, and two names have emerged as main contenders for the position.
Read also | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar files nomination for Rajya Sabha today
People familiar with the matter told HT that Samrat Chaudhary and Nityanand Rai are the likely contenders for the chief minister’s seat.
Who will be the next president of Bihar? Main names appear
Samrat Chaudhary, who is also one of the state’s deputy chief ministers, is expected to be elevated to the highest rank after Kumar’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha.
Chaudhary has been an integral part of Bihar politics. From taking over as Panchayati Raj Minister to his current tenure as state home affairs portfolio, the BJP leader has held key positions and is currently in his second term as Deputy Chief Minister.
Nityanand Rai is also likely to be in the race. Rai currently holds the position of Minister of State for Interior Affairs. Before his stint with the Centre, Rai served as the state president of the BJP in Bihar and was a four-time MLA from Hajipur.
In 2015, Rai won a parliamentary ticket and served as MP from Ujjarpur.
Nitish Kumar’s son in the fray?
While Chaudhary and Rai are poised to be the main contenders, reports have claimed that Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, will be appointed to the Bihar government on Thursday.
According to reports, Nishant is set to join the Janata Dal (United) today and is reportedly set to be appointed as Deputy Chief Minister.
An earlier HT report quoted Minister Sharwan Kumar as saying: “He will be given greater responsibility in the party. The responsibility he will get will be decided in a day or two.” Asked if Nishant could be sent to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar said: “Anything can happen.”
Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal and Digha BJP MLA Sanjiv Chaurasia are also vying for the top job, an Indian Express report said.
