Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resigned from his membership in the State Legislative Council on Monday (March 30, 2026), according to council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh.

JD-U MLC Sanjay Gandhi submitted Nitish Kumar’s resignation letter to the Legislative Council. Mr. Kumar is likely to take oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on April 10.

Mr. Kumar secured a Rajya Sabha seat through an election held on March 16. According to the rules, he was required to resign from his seat in the State legislature — and step down from the Chief Minister’s post — within 14 days of being elected to Parliament. On March 27, Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar noted that the Bihar CM still had time to resign, till March 30.

On the eve of Mr. Kumar’s resignation, senior leaders of his Janata Dal (United) party rushed to his official residence in Patna to hold closed-door meetings, amidst pleas from a section of the party for Mr. Kumar to remain in Bihar, and a lack of clarity regarding his potential successor.

Mr. Kumar had filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha on March 5, 2026, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, confirming speculation about the end of his 20-year rule in Bihar.

On March 20, Bihar Rural Development Minister Sharwan Kumar said that Mr. Kumar could remain in the CM post for the next six months, despite being elected to the Rajya Sabha. “One has to resign within 14 days as member of either House of the State legislature [after being elected as an MP]. He can resign within the stipulated time frame but can remain the Chief Minister of Bihar for the next six months as per provisions of the Constitution.”

Watch: After two decades as CM, Nitish Kumar moves to Rajya Sabha