PATNA, March 30 -- Emotions ran high after chief minister Nitish Kumar resigned from Bihar Legislative Council which he had been representing since 2006. Kumar was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Several leaders across the ruling alliance expressed anguish over Kumar's exit from the state legislature. Legislative council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh said, "People in Bihar are not happy with Nitish Ji's resignation. He was such a progressive chief minister who took everyone along. The pain of his resignation will always remain."

"This is, truly, a deeply emotional moment; we have worked together for a very long time. Although this parting naturally evokes a sense of unease and concern, I remain fully confident that his focus will...