In a post on X, Kumar said that he had long harboured a wish to be a member of both the Houses of Parliament as well as the state legislature. Notably, Kumar has already been an MLA, an MLC and a Lok Sabha MP, while the Rajya Sabha stint could complete the quartet.
Kumar said the new government in the state will have his full cooperation and guidance.
“For more than two decades, you have consistently placed your trust and support in me, and it is on the strength of that trust that we have served Bihar and all of you with complete dedication. It was the power of your trust and support that has enabled Bihar today to present a new dimension of development and dignity,” he wrote on X.
Highlighting how he wanted to become a member of both Houses of the Bihar legislature and both Houses of Parliament, Kumar added, “In keeping with this aspiration, I seek to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the elections being held this time”.
A total of five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are all set to go to the polls on March 16, with Thursday being the last day to file nominations. The senior leader’s election to the Rajya Sabha is all but certain, considering the tally in the state legislature.
A timeline of Nitish Kumar’s tenure
1985: Nitish Kumar was elected to the State Assembly for the first time.
1996: Switches loyalty to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Between 1998 and 2004, Kumar served in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government in various capacities as the Railway, Surface Transport and Agriculture Minister.
2000: Kumar came into the spotlight after becoming the Bihar Chief Minister for the first time, with support from the BJP-led NDA. However, he had to step down within seven days after failing to prove a majority in the floor test.
2003: The Samata Party officially merged with the Janata Dal (United).
2005: Nitish Kumar became the chief minister with the BJP as their coalition partner and went on to complete his first full term.
2010: After NDA’s victory, Kumar again became the Chief Minister.
2013: Parted ways with the BJP after it was clear that Narendra Modi was the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
2015: After staying away for a brief period, he replaced Jitan Ram Manjhi. He then allied with Lalu Prasad and contested the Assembly election.
2017: Kumar marked his return to the NDA and decided to ally with the BJP to form the government in the state. He took the oath for the sixth time.
2020: NDA secured a win in the election, while JD(U) was reduced to 43 seats. Kumar became the CM for the seventh time.
2022: In another dramatic switch, he broke ties with the NDA and formed a grand alliance with the RJD.
2024: He came back to the NDA in January 2024 and took the oath for the ninth time.
2025: Kumar took oath for the 10th time after the Bihar elections, where the NDA swept the polls, winning 202 out of 243 seats.
