Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday described chief minister Nitish Kumar’s over two-decade rule as a golden period for Bihar, as the latter filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha.
“It is unprecedented for any political leader to have a spotless career even after four decades in public life, when he served in various capacities as Union minister and Bihar chief minister since 2005. His tenure has been highly successful, and he rid the state of jungle raj. He ensured road connectivity and electricity across the state. He lent speed to all aspects of the state’s progress,” said Shah, as Kumar filed his nomination along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Nabin, Rashtriya Lok Morcha’s Upendra Kushwaha, BJP leader Shivesh Kumar, and Union minister Ram Nath Thakur.
Shah said Kumar lived by the principles of socialist leader Jai Prakash Narayan, as a product of the JP Movement, with a clean record. “He maintained simplicity and the highest standards of public life. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he contributed immensely to taking Bihar forward. Under him, all the central schemes reached the masses.”
He said that Nabin became the BJP president and was nominated for the Rajya Sabha after successful state politics for a long period. “We welcome his entry to the Parliament and into national politics.”
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept back to power in Bihar in 2025, winning 202 of 243 seats, which means it can win four of the five Rajya Sabha seats easily. For the fifth, it is short of three votes. Each candidate needs 41 votes to win.
For the fifth seat, Kushwaha is up against Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Amarendra Dhari Singh, who also filed his nomination on Thursday. Even abstentions would harm Singh’s prospects.
Elections for Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled on March 16. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on March 6. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until March 9.