Nitish Kumar has decided to retain the post of Janata Dal United national president as he prepares to step down as Bihar chief minister following his election to the Rajya Sabha.

Two sets of nominations were filed on his behalf on Thursday for the JDU national president’s election. March 22 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations, after which Nitish is expected to be formally declared as having been elected unopposed.

The election for the party chief was announced on March 16, the day Nitish was elected to the Upper House.

Party working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, one of the proposers for Nitish, submitted the nominations at the party’s central office in Jantar Mantar.

“All of us want Nitishji to take charge of the party once again. He is now coming to Delhi and will be visiting the party office here frequently,” Jha told reporters.

Speaking on the contours of a post-Nitish government in Bihar, Jha said the JDU veteran’s advice would be crucial to the selection of the next chief minister, expected to be from the BJP.

“It will definitely be an NDA government; it will not be a single-party government. Discussions will decide who will take on which role,” Jha said.

He added that Nitish, as the “universally acknowledged leader” of the NDA in Bihar, would have a decisive say in the transition.

Although Nitish has not publicly confirmed his resignation, he has dropped clear hints during his ongoing, statewide Samriddhi Yatra. He has multiple times appeared to endorse BJP deputy chief minister Samrat Chaudhary for the top job, saying: “Aage sab yahi dekhenge (In future, he’ll handle everything).”

Chaudhary, who is from the OBC Koiri community, is widely seen as the man that Nitish, a Kurmi, prefers as his successor. The Kurmi-Koiri, or “Luv-Kush”, social combination remains a key support base for the JDU.

BJP leaders have so far refrained from officially confirming a successor, underlining that the party leadership is known for last-minute decisions.

Sources said that Nitish, whose Rajya Sabha term begins after April 9, was likely to step down in the first half of April.

“In the second week of April, Nitishji will step down as chief minister and take oath as a Rajya Sabha member,” a JDU leader said.

Speculation continues over a possible organisational role for the chief minister’s son, Nishant Kumar, who recently joined the JDU and is being projected as the future face of the party. JDU insiders claim that Nishant will be appointed a deputy chief minister in the new government.

Nitish has in recent months shed his long opposition to “dynasty politics” and begun foregrounding Nishant on key public occasions.

Earlier this week, Nitish attended two iftar gatherings with his son by his side. This has been widely interpreted as a signal from the veteran that Nishant would carry forward the secular legacy that Nitish has built assiduously throughout his alliance with the BJP.

The post of JDU working president might fall vacant, too, with Jha likely to be elevated as party deputy chairman in the Rajya Sabha. Incumbent Harivansh Narayan Singh’s term ends on April 9, and he was not re-nominated.

Many in the JDU say that Nishant is likely to be appointed the party working president.