Bihar: Nitish Kumar exits centre stage; BJP era begins | India News

Now, the Bharatiya Janata Party – which has long played second fiddle to Nitish’s JD(U) – is set to take Samrat Chowdhury to center stage as its new chief ministerial pick.End of an eraAfter the entire revolutionary movement during the Emergency, socialist ideals penetrated deep into the state. JP took many youth leaders under its wing, many of whom later became Bihar bigwigs.Additionally, it was also an era of Karpuri Tagore, during which a new grammar of power emerged, where casteism was not hidden beneath but was spoken of as a politics of representation.

This fine tuning of ideology led to the emergence of two of the state’s tallest leaders – Lalu and Nitish – who cemented the vision of social justice on which Bihar’s identity politics rested.A popular leader known for his jokes, Lalu ruled for more than 15 years. After his fall, Nitish, known as Sushasan Babu, ruled for the next 21 years, which ended on Tuesday.Rise of BJP in BiharBut plans for Nitish’s exit seem to have been made long ago. After the National Democratic Alliance’s landslide victory in last year’s assembly elections and the BJP’s stellar performance, rumors began to circulate that Nitish might step down from the top post, paving the way for the BJP in a state that was still out of their control.The rumor proved true when Nitish, on a fateful day, announced his decision to give up the top post in Bihar for a Rajya Sabha seat to fulfill his personal desire to serve in the four legislative bodies of Bihar – Bihar Vidhan Sabha, Bihar Vidhan Parishad, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.While many expected the move amid speculation about his deteriorating health, Nitish’s sudden announcement still surprised many who expected a smooth transition plan.JD(U) without NitishNitish Kumar was the lone star of his team for decades. Despite never winning a single majority, his “Sushasan Babu” image kept the JD(U) at the center of Bihar politics. Nitish’s decision not only ends the political dynasty of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpuri Tagore but also throws his party into uncharted waters, with no clear roadmap for the future.The party has failed to develop a strong second tier leadership. Leaders like Sanjay Jha, Lalan Singh and Vijay Chowdhury are present, but none command a mass connect comparable to Nitish.

Political analysts believe that the JD(U) may merge with its ally BJP in the coming days, though such a move may not get unanimous support within the party.“There is also a possibility that the BJP and JD(U) may merge in the future, although not everyone in the JD(U) would accept such a merger. Many leaders can resist it. Some leaders within the party may move to the RJD, while others may join the BJP,” political analyst Kumar Vijay told The Times of India.“Earlier, JD(U) workers even voted for BJP candidates because they believed that Nitish Kumar would eventually be the chief minister. But now many die-hard workers may refuse to support the BJP in future,” he added.End of the road for JD(U).The dynamic between the JD(U) and the BJP changed in the last assembly elections, with the BJP emerging as the “big brother”. In the 2025 elections, BJP became the single largest party with 89 seats and 20.45% vote share, while JD(U) won 85 seats with 19.61%.After the landslide victory, the BJP is starting to look less like a coalition partner and more like a contender for the driver’s seat. It acquired a larger stake in the Council of Ministers and Nitish Kumar also got to share the Home portfolio.According to PTI, party sources admitted that there was ambivalence among workers over the role of Sanjay Jha and other close aides of Nitish in recent developments.“Yesterday, when the Chief Minister visited the JD(U) office in Delhi, many party workers insisted that even after he resigned, the top post should not be given to the BJP. The visuals have been flashed by all media outlets and, to an extent, reflect the prevailing sentiment within the party here.”“In Nishant (Nitish Kumar’s son, who joined the party recently), we have a young leader capable enough to step into his father’s shoes. We are also aware, however, that our leader is unlikely to push for his son. But, at the very least, we must emphasize the benefits that the BJP currently enjoys, which include posts like two deputy CMs, Assembly Speaker and the important home portfolio,” they added.“The BJP, on its part, is behaving shakily. Look at the fact that they nominated Harivansh Narayan Singh to the Rajya Sabha days after we rejected him for a third consecutive term,” JD(U) sources said.

JD(U) activists also put up posters across Patna calling for Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant to be the Chief Minister.The posters, put up by “Nitish sevaks”, called for Nishant Kumar to enter active politics, describing him as a “youth leader” and urging him to “come out of the shadows”.“We don’t need bulldozers, riots or unrest in Bihar. We need a young public servant… time to come out of his shadow,” the posters read.What will happen to Nitish Kumar’s EBC vote bank?Over the years, Nitish has positioned himself as the main leader of the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), which form a significant portion of Bihar’s population.He consciously built this support base by drawing on Karpuri Tagore’s legacy and focusing on economically weaker sections.His departure raises questions about who will inherit this vote bank. According to analyst Kumar Vijay, no single party seems well-suited to consolidate the non-Yadav OBC and EBC votes.“If Tejashwi Yadav had strong leadership credentials, that vote bank could have shifted to RJD. But the biggest tragedy in Bihar is the lack of strong political leadership. Congress doesn’t have that, neither does RJD. Despite being a politically mature state, Bihar is facing a serious leadership crisis,” Vijay said.“Upendra Kushwaha has lost credibility. Tejaswi Yadav has not emerged as a Trinamool leader. LJPO has become a dramatic political party,” he added.For Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s entry into the Rajya Sabha marks the end of a long political chapter defined by his leadership, coalition changes and the ‘good governance’ model of governance. The coming months will determine how both the JD(U) and state politics fare.