Bihar: Nitish Kumar exits center stage; BJP era begins

Now, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has long played the role of second fiddle to Nitish’s JD(U), will take center stage with Samrat Chaudhary as their new chief minister.end of an eraAfter the Sampoon Kranti movement during the Emergency, socialist ideology penetrated deeply into the country. JP brought many young leaders under his wing, many of whom later became big shots in Bihar.Moreover, this was also the era of Kapuri Thakur, during which a new grammar of power emerged, where caste was no longer hidden under euphemisms but was termed the politics of representation.

These ideological fine-tuning led to the rise of the state’s two top leaders, Lalu and Nitish, who cemented the samajik nyay vision on which Bihar’s identity politics rests.Lalu, a popular leader known for his jokes, ruled for more than 15 years. After his decline, Nitish, also known as Sushasan Babu, ruled for the next 21 years, a reign that ended on Tuesday.The rise of the BJP in BiharHowever, Nitish’s exit plan seems to have been made long ago. After the National Democratic Alliance’s landslide victory in the assembly elections last year and the BJP’s stellar performance, rumors began to circulate that Nitish might resign from the top job, making way for the BJP to give way to a state that is under its control but out of reach.The rumors proved to be true when Nitish on a fateful day announced his decision to resign from the top post in Bihar and take up a Rajya Sabha seat instead to fulfill his personal desire to serve in all four legislative bodies – Bihar Legislative Assembly, Bihar Legislative Council, Lok Sabha and Lok Sabha.While many had anticipated the move amid speculation about Nitish’s deteriorating health, Nitish’s sudden announcement still surprised many who were expecting a smoother transition plan.JD(U) No NitishFor decades, Nitish Kumar has been the only star in his party. His ‘Sushasan Babu’ persona has kept the JD(U) at the center of Bihar politics, despite never achieving an absolute majority on his own. Nitish’s decision not only ended the political lineage of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpoori Thakur but also thrust his party into uncharted waters with no clear roadmap for the future.The party failed to build a strong second-line leadership. Leaders like Sanjay Jha, Lalan Singh and Vijay Choudhary were present, but none had the mass connect as Nitish.

Political analysts believe the JD(U) is also likely to merge with its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming days, although the move may not have unanimous support within the party.“A merger between the BJP and the JD(U) is also possible in the future, although not everyone in the JD(U) will accept such a merger. Some leaders may resist it. Some leaders in the party may switch to the RJD while others may join the BJP,” political analyst Kumar Vijay told TOI.“Earlier, JD(U) workers even voted for the BJP candidate as they believed Nitish Kumar would eventually remain as chief minister. But now many die-hard workers may refuse to support the BJP in future,” he added.JD(U) End of the RoadThe dynamic between the JD(U) and the BJP changed in the last assembly elections, with the BJP becoming the “elder brother”. In the 2025 polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats and 20.45 per cent vote share, while the JD(U) bagged 85 seats with 19.61 per cent.After its resounding victory, the BJP began to look less like an alliance partner and more like a contender for the driving seat. It got a bigger share in the Council of Ministers and Nitish Kumar also had to abandon domestic affairs.Party sources admitted that cadres were suspicious of the role played by Sanjay Jha and some other close aides of Nitish in recent developments, PTI reported.“Yesterday, when the chief minister visited the JD(U) office in Delhi, many party workers insisted that the top post should not go to the BJP even after he steps down. These scenes were reported by all media and to some extent reflect the prevailing sentiment within the party,” they said.“In Nishant (Nitish Kumar’s son, who recently joined the party), we have a young leader who is capable enough to take over from his father. However, we also realize that our leader is unlikely to push his son. But at least, we must hold on to all the benefits that the BJP currently enjoys, which include the posts of two deputy chief ministers, Speaker of Parliament and the important Home Minister,” they added.“BJP has always been cocky. Just look at how quickly they nominated Harivansh Narayan Singh to the Lok Sabha just days after we rejected him for a third consecutive term,” a JD(U) source said.

JD(U) workers also put up posters across Patna urging Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant to take up the chief ministership.The posters, put up by “Nitish sevaks”, called for Nishant Kumar to become active in politics, describing him as a “youth leader” and urging him to “come out of the shadows”.“We don’t need bulldozers, we don’t need riots or unrest in Bihar. We need a young Jansevak… It’s time he comes out of the shadows,” the poster read.What will happen to Nitish Kumar’s EBC vote bank?Over the years, Nitish has positioned himself as a key leader of the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), which constitutes a large portion of Bihar’s population.He consciously built this support base by leveraging the legacy of Kapuri Thakur and focusing on economically weak areas.With his exit, the question arises of who will inherit this vote bank. Analyst Kumar Vijay said no party seemed to be doing well in consolidating the non-Yadav OBC and EBC votes.“Had Tejashwi Yadav had strong leadership credentials, this vote bank might have shifted to the RJD. But the biggest tragedy in Bihar today is the lack of strong political leadership. The Congress has none and neither does the RJD. Despite being a politically mature state, Bihar is facing a severe leadership crisis,” Vijay said.“Upendra Kushwaha has lost credibility. Tejashwi Yadav is yet to emerge as a grassroots leader. The Liberty and Justice Party has also become a more dramatic political group,” he added.For Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s entry into the Union House marks the end of a long political chapter defined by his leadership, shifting alliances and the ‘Sushasan’ model of governance. The coming months will determine how the JD(U) and state politics evolve without him.