Nitish Kumar on Friday took oath as a Rajya Sabha member amid indications that he would step down as Bihar chief minister early next week and pave the way for a BJP-led government in the state for the first time.

Sources indicated that a new government headed by a BJP leader could be sworn in either on April 15, marking the beginning of the Hindu month of Baisakh, or on Akshay Tritiya on April 19.

Nitish was administered the oath by Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan in the presence of Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Chaudhary, who is seen as the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post.

“After taking the oath, we will return to Patna. Within three to four days, we will sit together, discuss, and he (Nitish) will resign,” Bihar minister and senior JDU leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary told reporters.

Nitish said he had worked in Bihar for over two decades and would now shift focus to national politics.

“Nitish Kumar ji is one of the most experienced leaders in the country. His commitment to good governance has been appreciated everywhere. He has made an indelible contribution to the development of Bihar. It will be a great pleasure to see him in Parliament once again,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.

A meeting of the BJP’s core committee on Bihar is scheduled to deliberate on the formation of the next government and the choice of chief minister. While Chaudhary remains a leading contender, party insiders did not rule out a surprise, including the possibility of a woman chief minister.

“With the proposed move to fast-track the implementation of women’s reservation set to be taken up in Parliament next week, the leadership could consider nominating a woman as chief minister,” a BJP leader said. A special session of Parliament has been convened from April 16-18 to debate and pass amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023.

Harivansh nominated

Outgoing Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh was nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu to fill the vacancy created after the retirement of former CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Harivansh’s second term in the Rajya Sabha ended on April 9, and he was not re-nominated by the JDU.