Rajya Sabha move: Nitish Kumar to resign from Bihar Legislative Council tomorrow

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to resign from the state Legislative Council on Monday, weeks after being elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this month, a move that could pave the way for his exit from the chief minister’s post.

Kumar, who secured a Rajya Sabha berth earlier in March, is required under constitutional provisions to vacate his state legislature seat within 14 days of being elected to Parliament. His resignation from the Council is expected to clear the path for him to formally take up his new role in the Upper House.

Earlier, his close aide Sanjay Kumar Jha had hinted at the development, stating that Kumar would step down from the Legislative Council soon.

"It is stipulated in the Constitution that you should resign within 14 days. Things will happen accordingly," Jha said when asked about reports that Kumar may step down as MLC on March 30.

However, the development has triggered sharp political reactions, with the opposition questioning the circumstances surrounding Kumar’s move to the Rajya Sabha.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the JD(U) chief was compelled to shift to Parliament under pressure from the BJP.

"Nitish Kumar may be the national president of the JD(U), but the party is now not run by him but a cabal that is hand in glove with the BJP.

"We have always been saying that the BJP wants to finish off the JD(U). Nitish Kumar has been forced to enter the Rajya Sabha as part of this design. He had no wish to relinquish the chief minister's post," said the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.