The BJP appears to have persuaded JDU president Nitish Kumar to step down as Bihar chief minister and move to the Rajya Sabha, potentially paving the way for the saffron party to install its first chief minister in the Mandal heartland, sources in Delhi and Patna indicated.

Speculation gathered momentum in Patna amid Holi celebrations on Wednesday, with senior JDU leaders close to the 75-year-old leader not issuing categorical denials. Some leaders obliquely acknowledged the developments, remarking: “Kuch ho raha hai, kal sab saaf ho jaayega (Something is happening; everything will be clear tomorrow)."

JDU insiders said Nitish had still not signed the Rajya Sabha nomination papers for which the last date of filing is Thursday.

After a meeting with Nitish, JDU MLC Sanjay Gandhi said: "We will support whatever decision Nitish Kumar ji will take... We will be with him even if he decides to go to the Rajya Sabha."

Sources said Nitish’s son, Nishant Kumar, who was earlier believed to be headed for the Rajya Sabha as part of his political debut, may instead be accommodated as Bihar’s deputy chief minister if the transition materialises.

“Efforts had been underway for some time to convince Nitishji that, given his health condition, he should make an honourable exit. The party leadership now appears to have succeeded in convincing Nitishji,” a BJP leader close to Union home minister Amit Shah said. The leader claimed that everything was being done under an “understanding” with ally JDU.

The speculation was strong enough for discussions about a possible BJP chief minister, with Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary emerging as a frontrunner. Choudhary, who belongs to the OBC Koiri community, is widely regarded as a close aide of Shah.

The speculation gathered pace after JDU working president Sanjay Kumar Jha held what party sources described as an “unscheduled” meeting with Shah in Delhi on Tuesday night before rushing to Patna, where he held closed-door discussions with Nitish.

Sources said Jha, who had earlier been associated with the BJP, carried Shah’s message to the JDU leadership and worked to set the stage for a possible political transition.

The BJP has long been keen to secure the chief minister’s post in Bihar, particularly after the 2020 Assembly elections when it emerged as the larger partner in the NDA by winning nearly twice as many seats as the JDU. During the November–December 2025 Assembly polls as well, the party was believed to be close to staking a claim to the top post but eventually stepped back after the JDU staged a recovery, winning 85 seats against the BJP’s 89 in the 243-member House.

BJP leaders claim that 75-year-old Nitish’s mental acuity had worsened and he was not in a position to govern. “For me, the development is not surprising. In fact, it may be better for Nitishji to move to the Rajya Sabha as he is not in a position to run the state. Everyone knows that governance in Bihar is largely being handled by bureaucrats, which is not a healthy situation,” a senior NDA leader said.

However, not all leaders within the ruling alliance joined the buzz. Union textile minister Giriraj Singh dismissed the speculation, saying: “Such jokes are common during Holi. Nitish Kumarji is our chief minister.”

A long-time associate of Nitish in Patna acknowledged that the BJP was keen on installing its own chief minister but maintained that no final decision had been taken. “The BJP does want the chief minister’s post. But the reaction of the 85 JDU MLAs will be crucial,” he said.