Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Thursday filed their nominations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Bihar. The two leaders submitted their nomination papers in Patna in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The development comes ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, which have generated significant political attention in Bihar as well as in other parts of the country. The nomination filing by Nitish Kumar has also sparked speculation about who will take over the post of chief minister if he moves to the Upper House of Parliament.

Nitish Kumar, who currently serves as the Chief Minister of Bihar and is the leader of the Janata Dal (United), assured people that his commitment to the development of the state will remain unchanged. In his first remarks after reports of his Rajya Sabha nomination surfaced, Kumar said that he would continue to support the government that will be formed in the state.

He said that his relationship with the people of Bihar would continue and that he would remain dedicated to the progress of the state. Kumar also assured that he would extend “full cooperation and guidance” to the new government that would be formed after the political transition.

The move by Nitish Kumar to file a nomination for the Rajya Sabha has led to discussions about the next chief minister of Bihar. According to people familiar with the matter, two names have emerged as possible contenders for the top post.

The first name being discussed is Samrat Choudhary, who currently serves as one of the deputy chief ministers of Bihar. Choudhary is considered an important figure in Bihar politics and has held several key positions in the state government. From his earlier tenure as Panchayati Raj Minister to his current role handling the home affairs portfolio in the state, he has been involved in several administrative responsibilities. He is currently serving his second term as deputy chief minister.

Another name that is being considered is Nityanand Rai. Rai is presently serving as the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the central government. Before joining the Union government, he served as the BJP president for Bihar. Rai has also been elected four times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Hajipur. In 2015, he won a parliamentary ticket and later served as a Member of Parliament from Ujiarpur.

The Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar are being held because the terms of several members of the Upper House are coming to an end. Five seats from the state are scheduled to go to polls on March 16. The elections have been necessitated by the end of the terms of JD(U) leaders Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, RJD leaders Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha.

Political developments around the nominations have also drawn attention to the broader political situation in Bihar. With Nitish Kumar likely to step down from the chief minister’s post if he becomes a member of the Rajya Sabha, a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to take over the top position in the state government.

According to the current political numbers in the state assembly, all five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are likely to go to the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The BJP had earlier announced its candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections across several states, including Bihar. From the state, the party nominated Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar as its candidates.

The filing of nomination papers by Nitish Kumar and Nitin Nabin is taking place on the last day for submitting nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16.

Meanwhile, another political development has taken place in Assam ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. Suspended Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha has announced that he will join the Bharatiya Janata Party on March 5.

Purkayastha said that the timing of his joining the BJP had been decided by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while keeping the Rajya Sabha elections in mind. According to him, the joining ceremony was scheduled for 8 am on Thursday.

Speaking about the decision, Purkayastha said, “Keeping in mind the Rajya Sabha elections and everything else, the Chief Minister had taken this decision that our joining will happen at the right time, and the joining time has been given as 8 am tomorrow morning. I will work as a soldier of the BJP, and after joining tomorrow, I will work for the good of the party.”

The move comes as part of a wider trend of Congress leaders in Assam switching to the BJP ahead of the upcoming elections in the state. Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had indicated that several Congress leaders were expected to join the BJP according to a schedule.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Sarma had said, “I have a schedule in which Congress leaders will join us, and they will comply with the schedule. It is important for them to join before the 2029 General Elections. For me, all elections are important. BJP has already started preparing for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.”

In February, former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah also joined the BJP, ending his three-decade-long association with the Congress. The move was seen as a major setback for the party ahead of the elections in the state.

Recently, Chief Minister Sarma also criticised the Congress over its list of candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections. He described the list as a “dynastic list” and said that the BJP’s list would focus on grassroots workers.

“One may call it a list, but I would call it a dynastic list. In contrast, the BJP's list would include grassroots workers. The party is fully prepared for the upcoming elections,” Sarma said.

The Election Commission of India has announced that polling for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections will be held on March 16. The counting of votes will take place on the same day at 5 pm, and the entire election process is expected to be completed by March 20. The elections will fill 37 seats across 10 states, including Assam.

These political developments in Bihar and Assam highlight the ongoing activity ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, with parties preparing their candidates and leaders making strategic decisions before the polls.