Nitish Kumar Files Rajya Sabha Nomination: Rohini Acharya Slams Him as ‘Puppet of BJP’ Amid Major Bihar Political Shift
In a dramatic turn in Bihar’s ever-turbulent political landscape, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election on Thursday, March 5, 2026. This move, confirmed amid intense speculation, signals his likely transition from the state’s top executive post to the Upper House of Parliament—potentially ending his record tenth tenure as Bihar CM and paving the way for Bihar’s first-ever BJP Chief Minister.
Nitish Kumar, the veteran JD(U) leader and a key architect of Bihar’s development narrative over the past two decades, shared an emotional message to the people of Bihar ahead of the nomination filing. In his heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), he reflected on the unwavering trust voters have placed in him since the early 2000s.
“For more than two decades, you have consistently placed your trust and support in me, and it is on the strength of that trust that we have served Bihar and all of you with complete dedication,” Nitish Kumar wrote. He highlighted how this public confidence propelled significant progress in the state, elevating Bihar’s national standing. Expressing a long-held aspiration, he added: “From the very beginning of my parliamentary journey, there has been a desire in my heart to become a member of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature as well as both Houses of Parliament. In keeping with this aspiration, I seek to become a member of the Rajya Sabha.”
Nitish Kumar reassured Biharis that his bond with the state remains unbreakable: “I want to assure you with complete honesty that my relationship with you will continue in the future as well, and my resolve to work together with you to build a developed Bihar will remain steadfast.” This emotional note comes just months after the NDA’s landslide victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, where the alliance secured 202 out of 243 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats, while JD(U) won 85. Nitish Kumar was sworn in for his record tenth term, with BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha as Deputy Chief Ministers.
The Rajya Sabha polls, for five seats from Bihar, have nomination filing closing on Thursday. Reports indicate Nitish Kumar filed alongside BJP national president Nitin Nabin, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah present in Patna amid the high-stakes developments. JD(U) sources suggest the party may secure two seats, with one earmarked for Nitish Kumar himself. If elected, he is expected to resign as CM, triggering a major power shift within the NDA—potentially installing a BJP face as Chief Minister for the first time in Bihar’s history.
This development has ignited fierce reactions from opposition quarters, most notably from former RJD leader Rohini Acharya, the estranged daughter of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. In a scathing post on X, Acharya launched a blistering attack on Nitish Kumar, accusing him of reaping the consequences of his repeated “betrayals” of political allies.
“Nitish Kumar ji, who repeatedly betrays his own allies. You are yourself responsible for being pushed into your own abyss and for your own wretched state. You are the rightful recipient of whatever is happening to you today,” Acharya declared. Labeling him the “pinnacle of opportunism” and a “puppet of the BJP,” she claimed the BJP “forced” him into contesting the Rajya Sabha polls after he abandoned the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and rejoined the NDA on January 28, 2024.
Acharya asserted that Nitish Kumar‘s current predicament was sealed the moment he performed his “world-famous somersault” by ditching the INDIA bloc-aligned Mahagathbandhan. “It is precisely because of his inherent compulsion to cling to the chair that Nitish Kumar ji has today become a puppet in the hands of that BJP, which is notorious for digging the political graves of its allies and burying them,” she wrote.
She further alleged that Nitish Kumar ignored warnings from his old socialist comrades about aligning with the BJP, drawing parallels to the 2022 Maharashtra crisis where Eknath Shinde’s rebellion—allegedly backed by the BJP—toppled the Uddhav Thackeray government. “Despite repeated warnings from his old socialist comrades, he himself went and sat in the lap of the BJP, which is like a grave,” Acharya remarked.
Rohini Acharya, a doctor by profession, quit active politics following the Mahagathbandhan’s heavy defeat in the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, where RJD was reduced to a marginal presence. Her sharp critique adds fuel to the escalating war of words between RJD and the ruling NDA, as Bihar braces for yet another leadership change.
The backdrop to this drama is Bihar’s shifting alliances under Nitish Kumar‘s leadership. Known for his strategic flips—earning him nicknames like “Paltu Ram”—Nitish Kumar has alternated between NDA and opposition coalitions multiple times since 2013. His latest return to the BJP fold in January 2024 followed a brief stint with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. Critics, including Acharya, argue this pattern of opportunism has eroded his credibility and left him vulnerable to BJP dominance.
With Nitish Kumar eyeing the Rajya Sabha, speculation is rife over his successor. Names from BJP circles are circulating, including potential frontrunners like senior leaders who could assume the CM post. Some reports suggest JD(U) may push for deputy CM slots, possibly including Nitish Kumar‘s son Nishant Kumar in a future role. JD(U) workers have reportedly protested outside his residence, reflecting unease within the party over the transition.
This move also underscores broader implications for national politics. Nitish Kumar‘s entry into the Rajya Sabha could strengthen NDA’s upper house numbers while allowing him to influence policy from Delhi. For Bihar, it marks the end of an era dominated by Nitish Kumar‘s governance focus on infrastructure, women’s empowerment, and law and order—achievements he highlighted in his farewell note.
As the Rajya Sabha elections unfold, Bihar’s political temperature is set to rise further. Rohini Acharya’s fiery broadside against Nitish Kumar as a “puppet of the BJP” encapsulates the opposition’s narrative of betrayal and forced marginalization. Whether Nitish Kumar‘s transition leads to stability or more churn remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Bihar politics continues to deliver twists that keep the nation watching.
