Autumn of a socialist: On Nitish Kumar, the BJP and Bihar politics

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar is relinquishing his post and stepping aside from active politics. A nominee from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will likely succeed him as Chief Minister. Though the turn of events appears abrupt, it has been in the making for several years, and follows a pattern of the BJP’s expansion into newer areas and social groups. Mr. Kumar has oscillated between the BJP and the Congress-led Opposition over the years, and still commands the loyalty of a considerable section of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the State. At 75, old age had impaired him, and though his decline has been in full public view, he remained in the saddle — a testimony to his political indispensability. In the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept 202 of 243 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 89 seats against the JD(U)’s 85. The BJP was initially unwilling to declare Mr. Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate, even while calculating that the alliance could not afford to contest without him. Less than four months after taking oath as Chief Minister for a record tenth time, he filed his Rajya Sabha nomination on March 5, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah by his side. The BJP is navigating a very fine line, trying to gently push Mr. Kumar aside without toppling the apple cart of the social combination that holds various Hindu caste groups together. Any sense of insult to the OBCs can be politically costly; but the party is equally determined to formalise its primacy in Bihar politics, a fact on the ground since at least the 2020 Assembly election, when it won 74 seats to the JD(U)’s 43.

The transition in Bihar also aligns with the four-decade pattern of the BJP’s growth. The Hindutva party finds a foothold in new areas and among new social groups through alliances with regional outfits first, then emerges on top, and finally replaces the former ally. In 2020, the BJP already outran the JD(U) in seat tally but swallowed its ambition to keep the coalition intact and Mr. Kumar in place. In 2025, it retained that lead — 89 to 85 — and the arithmetic of the Rajya Sabha vacancy provided the occasion, and a measure of cover, for the inevitable transition. Bihar is the latest instance in this pattern, following the template most recently visible in Maharashtra, where Assembly elections were fought under Eknath Shinde’s name but Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP took the Chief Minister’s chair after the Mahayuti victory. With the eclipse of Mr. Kumar, the social justice politics that Bihar has practised for the last half-century — rooted in Lohiaite assertion, OBC mobilisation, and a resistance to upper caste dominance — is turning a page. It has a certain finality about it.

Overall Analysis

This editorial analyses the political transition in Bihar following the decision of Nitish Kumar to step away from active politics and the likely emergence of a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party as the next Chief Minister. The article interprets this development not as a sudden event but as the culmination of long-term political trends in Bihar and the broader expansion strategy of the BJP.

The editorial begins by highlighting Nitish Kumar’s long political career and his importance in Bihar’s politics. As leader of the Janata Dal (United), he has been a central figure in shaping coalition politics in the State. Over the years, he has shifted alliances between the BJP and the Congress-led opposition blocs, yet maintained a strong support base among Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The article notes that despite visible signs of political decline due to age, he remained in power because of his continued relevance to the coalition’s social and electoral calculations. The results of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, where the National Democratic Alliance secured a decisive victory, reinforced the BJP’s growing strength, with the party emerging as the single largest in the Assembly.

The editorial then explains the BJP’s careful political strategy in handling this transition. While the party seeks to establish its dominance in Bihar politics, it must also avoid alienating the social groups that have historically supported Nitish Kumar, particularly OBC voters. The presence of Amit Shah during Kumar’s Rajya Sabha nomination signals an attempt to ensure a smooth and respectful transition. According to the author, the BJP is “walking a fine line”—gradually asserting its leadership while maintaining the delicate caste coalition that underpins electoral success in the State.

In the second part, the editorial places Bihar’s political change within the broader historical pattern of BJP expansion. The party has often entered new regions through alliances with regional parties and gradually replaced them once it gained sufficient organisational strength. This pattern has been observed in several states, including Maharashtra, where leadership dynamics between Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis reflected a similar shift in power after electoral victory.

Finally, the editorial argues that Nitish Kumar’s exit represents more than a leadership change—it marks the fading of a particular political tradition in Bihar. For decades, the state’s politics was shaped by “social justice” movements inspired by socialist ideas and leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia. These movements mobilised backward castes and challenged traditional upper-caste dominance. With Kumar’s departure, the editorial suggests that this era of Lohiaite, caste-based social justice politics may be entering its final phase.

Important Vocabulary (5)

1. Relinquishing – voluntarily giving up power, position, or responsibility.
2. Oscillated – moved back and forth between different positions or alliances.
3. Primacy – the state of being the most powerful or important.
4. Foothold – a secure initial position from which further progress can be made.
5. Eclipse – the decline or overshadowing of someone’s influence or importance.

Conclusion & Tone

The editorial portrays Nitish Kumar’s withdrawal as a symbolic turning point in Bihar politics. It suggests that the BJP is consolidating its dominance while the older socialist tradition of caste-based mobilisation that shaped the state for decades is gradually fading.

Tone: Analytical, reflective, and slightly elegiac (suggesting the end of a political era).