No longer CM, but will keep an eye on Bihar's development: Nitish Kumar

Despite stepping down as Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar plans to closely monitor development projects in Bihar, ensuring continued progress under the new government.

IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, along with JD-U chief and former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (right), in Patna, April 18, 2026. Photograph: @NitishKumar/ANI Photo

Key Points

Kumar plans to spend most of his time in Bihar, except during parliamentary sessions.
He aims to ensure the continuation of development work under the new JD(U) government.
The JD-U has accepted Nishant, Nitish Kumar's son, as a future leader.

Janata Dal-United president Nitish Kumar on Monday told party legislators that he will continue to keep a tab on the development work in Bihar despite having given up the chief minister's post a week ago.

Kumar addressed a meeting of the legislative party at 1, Anney Marg, which is the official residence of the chief minister and which the JD-U supremo, now a Rajya Sabha MP, had occupied for nearly two decades.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JD-U MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, "Our party leader has said that except for sessions of Parliament which would require his presence in Delhi, he will spend his maximum time in Bihar."

"Nitish Kumar told us that he will ensure that the good work done while he was in power continues under the new government, in which the JD-U is an important partner. To keep a tab, he will tour the state in due course," Neeraj Kumar said.

The JD-U spokesperson was asked about speculations that the meeting had been convened to decide on the role to be assigned to Nishant, the party supremo's son, who joined the JD-U last month, but has declined to accept a ministerial berth in the Samrat Choudhary government.

"There is no confusion about the role of Nishant, who has been accepted by the party as the leader of the future. In any case, there was no discussion on him today," Neeraj Kumar said.

Nitish Kumar has been authorised by the legislators to decide on choosing the legislative party leader, he added.

Among those present at the meeting were Union minister and former JD-U national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' and deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav.

Nitish Kumar's continued involvement highlights the JD-U's focus on maintaining its influence in Bihar's governance. His role as a Rajya Sabha MP allows him to balance national duties with state-level oversight.

The appointment of a new legislative party leader will be closely watched for indications of future power dynamics within the JD-U.