Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar Chief Minister, submits papers to Governor

Veteran leader Nitish Kumar on Tuesday stepped down as the Chief Minister of Bihar bringing an end to his long tenure at the helm of the statersquos politics The announcement was made shortly after he met Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and formally submitted his resignation at the Raj BhavanKumar who is the longestserving Chief Minister of Bihar shared the development through a post on social media following a cabinet meeting earlier in the dayResignation follows cabinet meeting and meeting with GovernorThe 75yearold leader arrived at the Governorrsquos residence accompanied by senior leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary JDU national working president Sanjay Jha and state minister Vijay ChoudharySpeaking after submitting his resignation Kumar said he had taken the decision voluntarily after serving the people of Bihar for several years He added that a new government would now take charge of the statersquos administration and he would extend full support and guidance to the incoming leadershipHighlights long tenure and development initiativesReflecting on his time in office Kumar pointed to the work carried out under his leadership since the formation of the NDA government in Bihar in November 2005 He said the state witnessed improvements in governance infrastructure and public services during this periodKumar highlighted efforts across sectors such as education healthcare road development electricity and agriculture He also emphasised initiatives aimed at the welfare of women youth and marginalised communities stating that development efforts were inclusive and targeted all sections of societyFocus on future roadmap and lsquo7 Nishchay3rsquo planThe outgoing Chief Minister also referred to the governmentrsquos future development roadmap under the ldquo7 Nishchay3rdquo programme designed for the 2025ndash2030 period He expressed confidence that the initiative would accelerate Biharrsquos progress and strengthen its position among Indiarsquos leading statesKumar acknowledged the support of the central government and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for continued cooperation in Biharrsquos developmentPolitical transition underway in BiharWith Kumarrsquos resignation attention has now shifted to the formation of a new government in the state The Bharatiya Janata Party which is the single largest party in the 243member Bihar Assembly with 89 MLAs is expected to play a key role in the leadership transitionThe NDA alliance in Bihar commands a strong majority with support from JDU Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha Leaders such as Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi are part of the allianceUnion minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been appointed as the central observer for the election of the BJP legislature party leader and is expected to oversee the process in PatnaEnd of an era in Bihar politicsKumarrsquos resignation marks a significant moment in Biharrsquos political landscape given his longstanding influence and multiple terms as Chief Minister As the state prepares for a leadership transition political observers will be closely watching the next steps in government formation and the direction of governance in the coming years