The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary board has appointed Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the central observer to oversee the election of the party’s legislative party leader in Bihar, a key step in the ongoing power transition in the state.
The move, announced via an official press release on Sunday, formalises the process for selecting the BJP’s nominee for Chief Minister as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) prepares to install a new government following the imminent resignation of long-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Nitish Kumar, who has dominated Bihar politics for over two decades and is currently serving his record 10th term as Chief Minister, took oath as a Rajya Sabha member on April 10, 2026.
His shift to the Upper House of Parliament signals the end of his direct executive role in the state and paves the way for a leadership change within the NDA alliance, which includes the BJP and his own Janata Dal (United). Sources indicate that Kumar is expected to tender his resignation as early as April 13 or 14, with the new government likely to be sworn in on April 14 or 15.
This development follows weeks of speculation and marks the conclusion of Kumar’s nearly 20-year tenure as Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister, during which he held the post intermittently since 2005, with a record 10th swearing-in in November 2025.
The transition is significant because the BJP, the largest partner in the NDA in the state assembly, is poised to claim the Chief Minister’s post for the first time in Bihar’s history. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, a BJP leader from the Kushwaha community and a key OBC face, has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Kumar.
Chaudhary currently holds the crucial Home portfolio and has been actively involved in recent NDA parleys. Some JD(U) workers have also floated posters supporting Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, as a potential deputy CM or future leader, though the top post is widely expected to go to the BJP.
