Nitish Kumar, JDU leader and chief minister of Bihar, was sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Friday, April 10, nearly a month after he was elected to the Senate on March 16. While he is yet to resign from the post of Bihar chief minister, the Rajya Sabha oath paves the way for a new face to take up the role.
As per constitutional provisions, Nitish can continue as chief minister of Bihar for up to six months despite being elected to the Rajya Sabha. However, under the rules, he must resign as a member of the MLC within 14 days of being elected to Parliament, which he did on 30 March.
When will Nitish resign from the post of Prime Minister?
The end of an era seems to be unfolding in Bihar, with Nitish moving from Patna to Parliament in Delhi. According to ANI, a high-level meeting of BJP leaders is also being held in Delhi on Friday to finalize the roadmap for the new state leadership.
Earlier, BJP national president Nitin Nabin had clarified that there were no differences within the NDA over the upcoming appointment of the new chief minister of Bihar.
Senior Bihar Minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhury has confirmed that Nitish Kumar will formally assume his role in the Rajya Sabha before further political decisions are taken in Patna. He also said that Nitish is likely to resign from the post of Chief Minister within two to four days after his return to Patna from Delhi after discussions and deliberations.
Read also | Nitish will meet NDA legislators after April 10 before resigning from the post of chief minister
“He has been elected to the Rajya Sabha. So, in the next step, he will take oath in the House. After he takes oath here, we will return to Patna. There, he will resign (from the post of Bihar chief minister) after 2-4 days of discussions and deliberations,” Chaudhary told ANI.
He added that the process of selecting the new prime minister will follow the legislative procedures of the National Democratic Rally Party.
Nitish Kumar is the longest serving Chief Minister of Bihar. He started his political journey as an MLA in 1985 and later served as a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He first became the Chief Minister of Bihar in 2005.
Speaking to ANI in Delhi, Saraogi said the day was important for both Bihar and Nitish Kumar, asserting that development in the state was driven under his leadership.
“It is an important day both for Bihar and for him. He is a mass leader in Bihar. Under his leadership, the RJD’s ‘jungle raj’ has ended and the state has progressed,” Saraogi said.
