Nitish Kumar quits as Bihar CM after 20 years, says new govt will have his guidance
Ending a two-decade-long, often turbulent political run marked by frequent alliances and flip-flops, Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar's Chief Minister, drawing the curtain on an era that also saw the eastern state emerge as one of the fastest-growing in the country.
Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation letter to Bihar Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at Lok Bhavan in Patna on Tuesday.
Nitish Kumar, a stalwart in Bihar's politics, on Tuesday resigned as the Chief Minister, ending a 20-year-old era that saw the eastern state becoming one of the fastest growing under his tenure. Following his resignation, the BJP has named Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary as the party's first-ever Chief Minister and will succeed Nitish Kumar, who has gone to the Rajya Sabha.
Known for frequently switching political sides, the 75-year-old chief of JD(U), whose party is a part of BJP-led NDA, submitted his resignation to Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at Lok Bhavan in Patna. The resignation came five months after the NDA romped to a thumping victory in the Bihar Assembly polls on the back of the JD(U)'s strong performance.
Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar, a 10-time Chief Minister, chaired his last Cabinet meeting before his resignation, which paved the way for a first-ever BJP government in the state.
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'NEW GOVERNMENT TO HAVE MY GUIDANCE'
In a tweet following his resignation, Nitish Kumar said his government worked for every section of society across sectors such as education, health, electricity, with a special focus on women and youth. He said the new government will take forward the responsibilities and will have his full cooperation and guidance.
“We formed the NDA government in the state for the first time on November 24, 2005. Since then, the rule of law has been firmly established, and we have remained consistently committed to development. From the very beginning, our government has worked for every section of society – Hindus, Muslims, upper castes, backward classes, extremely backward classes, Dalits and Mahadalits,” he said.
“For the next five years, from 2025 to 2030, we have envisioned the ‘7 Nishchay-3’ framework, which will drive even greater progress and take Bihar forward. The Centre has extended full support to Bihar’s development, and for this, we express our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji,” he further said.
Nitish Kumar also said that Bihar will continue to grow rapidly and emerge among the leading states of the country, contributing significantly to national progress.
“The new government will now take forward the responsibilities, and it will have my full cooperation and guidance. I am confident that the state will continue to witness meaningful progress and move ahead on the path of development,” he further said.
Nitish Kumar first took oath as Bihar Chief Minister on November 24, 2005, marking the beginning of a transformative political journey that would span two decades. Returning to power with a strong mandate in 2010, he built his governance around development, infrastructure push, and improved law and order, helping Bihar shed its backward state tag.
His tenure, however, was also defined by frequent political realignments. He broke ties with the BJP in 2013, allied with the RJD-Congress alliance in 2015, returned to the NDA fold in 2017, switched again to the Mahagathbandhan in 2022, and eventually realigned with the BJP once more. His opponents often called him a 'paltu ram' for his frequent flip-flops.
SAMRAT CHOUDHARY SET TO BECOME NEW CM
The BJP, the single largest party in Bihar’s 243-member Assembly with 89 MLAs, elected Samrat Choudhary as the legislature party leader. The crucial meeting began at the party’s Patna office around 3 pm.
Samrat Choudhary, a former Bihar BJP president, currently holds the Home portfolio.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, appointed as the central observer by the BJP parliamentary board, is in Patna to oversee the leadership selection.
The NDA, which commands a strength of 202 MLAs, includes 85 legislators from Janata Dal (United), 19 from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan, and five from Hindustani Awam Morcha headed by Jitan Ram Manjhi. The alliance also has five MLAs from Rashtriya Lok Morcha led by Upendra Kushwaha.
All NDA legislators met in the Central Hall of the state Assembly at 4 pm. Following a formal show of support from alliance partners, the Governor will be approached to stake a claim and initiate the process of government formation.
- Ends
(with inputs from PTI)